Uncovered Feelings
by katzie
Summary: Hermione has bottled up her feelings for Harry for over five years now, stubborn to regard him as no more than a best friend, she might need to change her mind when she sees a long term relation starting between the new girl and Harry Potter...
1. Gnashing teeth and suppressed jealousy

_Disclaimer: ALL characters _belong to the brilliant mind of JK Rowling apart from Angelica, but I don't care about that. Nothing belongs to me at all in this story My first story ppl! Oh I'm so proud! Anyway, here you are: ­­­­­

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"I've never had any feeling for him, and I won't start now," muttered Hermione under her breath, twisting her fingers harder and harder, feeling something tightening at her heart even harder as she watched the new girl, Angelica, suck up to Harry. She kept tossing her beautiful golden hair and batting her large deep blue eyes, completely enchanting Harry.

Hermione just sat on one of the seats near the fire, pretending to read a book, gnashing her teeth. Ron was still not back from his afternoon Quidditch practise, whereas Harry was, and immediately Angelica Payne had attached herself to the Boy-Who-Lived like a leech. Hermione sighed exasperatedly, really, Angelica Payne is really a pain, pain by name and pain by nature. Then, failing to absorb herself into _One Hundred and one animagi transformations_, she then tried to push her feeling of jealousy down, which was as hard as trying to squash a porcupine, with its quills stuck into your backside, which was exactly how she felt.

Then, as Ron came in, Hermione looked up, expecting a sniggering and well-look-who-it-is Ron staring at Harry and Angelica, but instead a sneaky and triumphant smile crept up the freckly face and Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Ron-" she began, but Ron interrupted in his usual unfeeling rude fashion.

"Oooh," he cooed, sounding just like Parvati and Lavender, sounding very uncannily and _annoyingly_ like those two. "Look, Boy-Who-Lived and Little Miss Prettykins! But seriously I think they're quite the pair!"

True, she had to admit, that Angelica was quite pretty. Her shiny golden hair hung to her waist in elegant folds and slightly wavy, glittering in the fire light, her eyes were large and deep, deep blue, and she had little cute freckles dotting across the bridge of her tall nose.

Hermione screwed up her face, feeling disgust above her jealousy.

_How can Ron **do** this? _She thought, _He's supposed to be one of my best friends! Now that Harry had been snatched off he's the only one who know how I feel. On second thought, cancel that, he's got the emotional range of a teaspoon._

Hermione sighed, feeling very down and stared unseeingly into the fire, trying to block out the "Oh Harry _darling_," and "You rude little Handsome!" squealing from Angelica's direction.

Angelica came along with the first years last night, when the term began, but, very strangely, Dumbledore was not present. No-one knew where he is, but, knowing him, thought Hermione, he's probably just late buying more sherbet lemons to go into his office, strange as he is. So the sorting ceremony had not been carried forward until the Headmaster returns, much to the relief of the scared first-years.

And also because of this reason the timetables weren't handed out yet, so they had no lessons till Dumbledore comes back. Angelica Payne had came with the first years to Hogwarts, but she was sixteen, unlike the first years, and so she has the privilege of going round with whoever she prefers and into whichever common rooms she wanted to, much to the annoyance of Hermione.

_Let's just hope Dumbledore would be back tomorrow, _Hermione thought, looking sadly in the direction of Angelica flirting with Harry, who looked very taken aback at first at her eagerness, then pleased because she was indeed very beautiful and very baby-like so boys generally spoil her. Then she saw Angelica reach for Harry's hand and pulled him into a long kiss, regardless of the people surrounding them, at which most people turned away in embarrassment. Hermione's stomach lurched as she saw Harry kiss just as passionately back, wrapping his hands around Angelica's slender frame.

Then she couldn't take it any longer. With a loud _bam_ she snapped her book shut, and stomped off into the direction of the Girls' dormitories. The couple broke apart at the sound. Hermione thought she heard Harry go "Hermione!" before she closed the door with a crash, blocking the cooing from Angelica completely.

Tears gathered in her eyes as she sat down onto her bed, alone. The time, she read with a sniffling face, was about seven, which was almost dinner time. She wanted to miss it. She felt so very hurt. It was as though daggers were hurled at her heart, ripping bits off, getting smaller and smaller.

"I _don't_ fancy Harry! He's a friend, and a really good friend. I love him as a _brother_!" she whispered fiercely to herself, but deep inside, where the truth laid, deep in her heart, she knew that it was not true.

She had loved him with her heart and soul ever since she laid eyes on him on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of their first year, but she hadn't noticed the feeling. She thought it was a feeling for best friends, for she had never had one before she came here. More tears swelled up and dripped heavily onto her school jumper, making dark dots on it. She sniffed but more tears came, clouding her vision.

Hermione dropped her head, making her hair fall like a curtain around her face. Her hair was no longer bushy, but long and elegantly curly, and the colour of dark brown. Her eyes had grown larger and looked deeper, more mature and full of knowledge, and was a deep shade of chocolate.

Her face was pale with a few freckles and had a tall nose and full lips, and had grown into quite a beautiful young lady with curves in the right places and her voice had deepen and she doesn't shriek or screech anymore. She was slender and tall now, with a height of almost six feet.

_Sadly Harry wouldn't notice, as a best friend_, she thought bitterly, twirling her soft curls with her index finger.

In the end she decided to go down to dinner. Hastily she hurried into the bathroom and gave her face a wash and her hair a brief brush. She sniffed and straightened herself, and heard the rush to dinner of the lower school. She tried to smile, which was painful at the memory of Harry's loving kiss for Angelica. She shook her head to clear her brains and set off downstairs with her head held high.

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Well how was it? It's probably rubbish, but can I have reviews pleeeease! Ideas on what happen next or personality changes or extra characters? I'm hoping for a Ron-Angelica and a Harry-Hermione relationship. What do you think? But then again Angelica is really obnoxious….will she be sorted into Gryffindor?


	2. Broken hearted runaway

Disclaimer: None of the below belonged to me

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One look at her blotchy face told Harry that something very bad had happened. Normally Hermione doesn't cry, she had grown much more hard-hearted than she was a couple of years ago. Unfortunately he had Angelica clinging to his arm and he didn't worry very much about Hermione right now, maybe Ron or somebody would do the comforting for him.

Dumbledore was not yet back. Hermione sighed. Maybe tomorrow. Just hope he hurries. Her robes sweeped the floor as she walked along the benches, searching for a space to sit.

She chose to sit with neither Harry nor Ron. Harry because she was too upset about his and her relationship - are they like brothers and sisters or are they lovers? - and besides, he had Angelica. He was content. She was not. Ron was such a prat at the moment she wouldn't go near him with a ten-footed broomstick. Right now he was having a lovely food fight with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan against Raymond Matthews and Dristan Marks from Ravenclaw who was in the same Astronomy class with them, using the Levitation Charm, sending bits of broccoli and cucumber flying across the Great Hall and hitting various people on the way, including Padma Patil and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

So Hermione sat with Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister, who was also her best friend. The bright and bubbly redhead beamed at her but registered her sadness almost at once.

"What's wrong Hermione?" she asked, poking her fork in disgust at the turnip nearest to her, then she flicked it across the hall and giggled as it hit Gertrude Wellford's head at the Hufflepuff table. "Spill."

_I do **not**__fancy him, I do **not** fancy him, I do **not** fancy him_, Hermione thought fiercely in her head, not at all taking notice of Ginny's words. Gripping her fork so hard that her knuckles went white, she glared piercingly at the nearest jacket potato with salad and grabbed it with her left hand.

Under the table, her legs crossed and crossed again in frustration, then tapped their heels on the polished floor. There seemed to be something extremely irritating inside her, bubbling and boiling, almost as though there was an itch she was desperate to scratch but it was unreachable. Lowering her fork, she glowered at her food.

_Harry couldn't care less, _she declared silently, widening her eyes intimidating at her jacket potato. Ginny thought they were having a staring contest, and couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"Hermione?" she asked again, louder this time, hoping to penetrate her friend's thoughts that was so engaging.

This succeeded, though not in the way Ginny had wanted. Hermione looked up just in time to hear Harry go:

"Listen, do you want to come with me into Hogsmeade this weekend?"

She felt as though a cold dagger had pierced her heart. Her body went cold and her eyes froze. Her jaw dropped as she hears Angelica, delighted, cooed:

"Ooh, let's!"

Something went _pang_ inside her, as though something had snapped. Closing her hand over the fork and gripping it as though she was seriously considering to throttle it, she raised it to her eye level. Then she looked at it in a hostile way. Ginny eyed her warily, wondering if her friend had gone nuts and was trying to use the fork in any harming way.

"Hermione-" she began, but too late. With a scream Hermione plunged the silver fork straight into her jacket potato, sending pieces of cabbage and cheese further than neither Ron nor Dean nor Seamus would ever anticipate. All the people sitting around her got hit by the food. Ginny herself received a faceful of mashed and vegetable-filled potato.

Then Hermione leapt up, couldn't stand it any longer, and sprinted out of the hall, leading glances at her peculiar and mad behaviour. She carried on and on, not looking where she was going, tears streaming down her face and staining her robes. She knew she was taking this too seriously, and she had never done this before when she was close to Harry. But now was different. Now she was sixteen. Now she was older and wiser, and also looking for an opposite-sex attraction. It's normal, but she couldn't help weeping and leaning on the wall of the corridor she had wandered into. Why - oh **WHY does it h**ave to be her best friend she has to fall for?

Pounding footsteps reached her ears and she whipped around and almost instantly recognized the figure standing a few feet away.

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Lux Aeterna: Thank you so much for your review! I've only posted the last chapter for 10 mins and you already reviewed it! Thank you so much! You inspired me to write another chapter in one day!

Sooo….how was it? I think I'm going a bit over the board with Hermione's emotions, but I was never one to make a plot and am just writing as ideas rush into my mind. Lol. Reviews please! I would REALLY appreciate it.


	3. Bottled up

Love them reviews ppl! Any contributions towards the later happenings, please let me know!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely NOTHING here!

No more stalling, here's the next bit:

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Tears running freely from her eyes she looked up, hoping against hope that it was not anyone she knew, least of all, _him_, unfortunately, it was Harry. She felt her heart starting to pound even harder as she snivelled and tried to wipe her nose. Leaning heavily against the wall she waited for either Harry to speak or for someone to come over.

_Please don't ask me too much questions, _she found herself thinking desperately, curling her fingers into fists. Her face had dried now and her hair hung limp and salty by her tears. Her eyes felt puffy and she would bet her tons of books that they were red-rimmed and small. Her nose was still sniffing and her tears had left streaks down her cheek. Hanging her head to hide her ugliness, she waited for Harry to make a move.

"Hermione," he began finally, awkwardly. "Um…what's the matter? You've been really distant lately, and we used to be such good friends!"

_Yeah, **good** friends, Mr. Harry James Potter, _Hermione thought in her head. _Just friends and nothing else. Turn to me if you have girl problems. Wondering if you've been too straight forward with girls, who to go out with, etc. Only speak to me about homework, nothing else, oh ho ho ho, what a lovely best friend you've been._

But on top of the thoughts she brought herself to look at Harry. The lovely emerald green eyes almost hypnotised her….so lovely and bright green, behind his round glasses. She remembered the little spell she had put on Harry's glasses to repel rain when they were in third year. Harry's jet black hair fell across his forehead, not covering his lightning bolt shaped scar. His usual troubled but brave smile that lit up his features, the thing that enchanted Hermione so.

"It's like there's this wall between us ever since we came into sixth year," he carried on, running a hand through his hair in frustration, frowning at the same time. Hermione's heart melted for him, but she waited. "I don't think anything's gone wrong, everything's perfect. I've gotten over….Sirius…and the Weasleys were alright and you had 'Outstanding' in all your O.W.L.s, and…it was like nothing had gone wrong! You're like my sister, Hermione! And I love you! I'm worried, tell me, like a sister should to a brother!"

_Tell him, _went a voice in Hermione's head. _Tell him you love him, he's not going to know if you don't tell, and if you give him riddles he'll be too thick to get it. He's a boy after all. _Hermione managed a sad chuckle. _Go for it Hermione. If he's treating you like a sister then you should tell him you want more than that. Come on._

"Harry," Hermione went, in a shaky voice, ready to confess, looking up and taking a deep breath. Harry's eyes snapped to her, wonder as well as curiosity in his sadness. "I've got something to tell you."

Tears filled her eyes again as she ran over the speech she had rehearsed in her head: _I've been meaning to tell you this for the last few years but I had not realized the feeling that I had - I love you Harry Potter, I love you. My heart lies with you, anything you do that affects me rips it apart, tearing it and screwing it up. I love you Harry._

Before she could say a word though, a squealing voice rang across the corridor.

"Oh Harry _dear_ there you are! I was wondering where you went! Eurgh! With this ugly little know-it-all! Come on Harrykins, let's go somewhere _worthwhile _with _me _." With that Angelica Payne dragged Harry off, blonde hair flying and squealing flirtatious voice bouncing off the castle walls.

Rain went pitter-patter against the night sky, but the only wetness inside the castle was that of Hermione's tears dripping onto her robes as she slid down the wall and sat down again, alone.

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Oh wow oh wow oh wow! I've got 5 reviews in total! Thank you very much everybody! Anyone with ideas on what to happen later? Isn't Angelica simply AWFUL!

Lord of the Darkness and Light: lol thanks for your compliment, I'm very flattered

Liz Reichelt: Thank you so much for understanding Hermione's feelings! I'm so glad you like it

FlairVerona: Sure I will continue hopefully I will update daily if there isn't too much homework. At least I promise all my readers I will update at least weekly if not every-other-daily

Kutekelcie: Oh wow! Thank you so much! I was about to update this chapter when you sent me your review! Yes I will update (read above) and hey! My nickname is Kaz, just a piece of coincidence I noticed, lol!


	4. To tell or not to tell, that's the quest...

I am so happy! 4 more reviews came to me this morning! Wow I have just updated the third chapter last night, thank you everybody!

Disclaimer: Like I said before, I do NOT own anything of anything below, everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, apart from Angelica, that prat.

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Hermione sat there, not knowing the time, not knowing all the people that had passed, peering at her tear-streaked face. She huddled in her corner, her hiccupping slowing to a final stop and she looked up and around.

The corridor around her was deserted. The dark sky outside was still pitch-black and rain hurled itself against the castle walls and windows. Looking left and right, everything seemed to be swallowed in darkness. Trembling at the knees she got up hesitantly.

She registered immediately that crying late into the night with her backside on a stone-cold marble floor was not the best thing to do for a continuous three and half hours. Every bone in her body felt like both stone rods and wooden sticks at the same time, just as hard and as brittle. Her hair felt crispy against her cheek as she pulled it behind her ear.

Her dark grey skirt looked crumpled as was her slightly sodden jumper under the robes. She tried to straighten them, all the time pricking her ears up for any sign of Filch the caretaker or Mrs. Norris his cat, for, if the sky outside was anything to go by, it was way past curfew. Finally standing up properly, her back cracking every now and then, she tiptoed across the landing, wondering where she had gone.

"_Lumos_," she whispered, her wand tip igniting into a brilliant glow, blinding her temporarily.

Hermione's breath sounded specially loud in the still silence. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she stepped into the darkness, about to be swallowed in the nothingness. She wasn't scared of the dark, she never was, but being on her own…in a humungous castle with moving staircases and whispering portraits it's hard not to be scared, especially due to the fact that the only source of light was that of Hermione's wand.

As she rounded across a corner she saw a dark shadow a few feet away from her.

"Well well well…Granger, out for a night time stroll?"

She could recognize that drawl anywhere.

"_Malfoy_!" she hissed in anger, taking a few steps back.

"I suppose I will have to duck a few points from Gryffindor, Mudblood, for being out of bounds at night," Draco Malfoy drawled, fingering his wand, his silvery blonde hair shining in Hermione's wand lit light. "Fifty points from Gryf-"

Before he could finished Hermione had whipped her wand out without thinking and yelled: "_Obliviate _!" and Malfoy was blasted off his feet into the wall with a cry.

Heart smashing against her body now, she shoved her wand back inside the neck of her robes and took off at a sprint towards Gryffindor Tower, leaving Malfoy singing the 'I'm a little teapot' song.

"I'm a little teapot, short and stout, this is my handle and this is my spout, when I get angry I scream and shout-"

His voice got smaller and smaller as Hermione, gasping, put more and more distance between them, finally arriving at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"My dear, where _have_ you been?" asked the Fat Lady sternly. Hermione didn't have the breath to answer and said:

"Don't worry, just let me in. Acid Pop, Acid Pop."

With that she clambered inside, into the safety of her dormitory.

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BlueGirl90: Thanks I will try to update as soon as I have time

Book lover990: Oh yes I almost forgot about Draco…I shall have to think about his personality though, any suggestions anybody?

Gred: I am so pleased! Thanks!

PockyEater: I know! Thanks for liking…er…._hating_ Angelica, lol!

Plz reviews on what to happen next or where Draco's going to come in later and his personality!


	5. Unsaid words, unshed tears

Second story in one day! I'm so bored at home with so much homework I decided to write again. Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: EVERYTHING here do not, and will not belong to me, ever! They all belong to J.K. Rowling. Apart from Angelica.

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How Hermione got to sleep she doesn't know, but she only know that she didn't know, except that she had stumbled into a sight that had filled her entire body with freezing horror.

Laying on the couch near the fire, was Harry sleeping peacefully with his head bent forward, and on top of him, with her arms wrapped around his torso, was _Angelica._

Another bit was ripped out of her heart as she looked at the sleeping couple. Harry, in a sitting position, with his arms around Angelica's waist, and Angelica had herself twined around Harry.

Hermione gulped, taking a few steps back, and, all of a sudden, Harry's words came back to her:

"_What's the matter? You've been really distant lately, and we used to be such good friends! It's like there's this wall between us ever since we came into sixth year, I don't think anything's gone wrong, everything's perfect. I've gotten over….Sirius…and the Weasleys were alright and you had 'Outstanding' in all your O.W.L.s, and…nothing had gone wrong! You're like my sister, Hermione! And I love you! I'm worried, tell me, like a sister should to a brother!_"

Like a sister should to a brother, like a sister should to a brother, like a sister should to a brother…the words chanted at her as she finally heaved herself up to her dormitory. Laying her head down onto her pillow in the four-poster, she groaned and turned over.

In the morning she felt awful. Sitting on the stone floor for ages last night, worrying about what other people would say when they found Malfoy, and about Harry and Angelica…oh life is the pits now.

She got up, and dressed. The clock read five thirty. Normally she doesn't wake up that early, mostly at about seven, but last night she couldn't sleep. She just tossed and turned, and mumbled and had horrid visions of Harry and Angelica leaving together, with her stuck with…someone. Ron? No…it was like someone else…Neville? No, that person was blonde…those cold eyes…

She wandered around aimlessly. Parvati and Lavender snored contently in their own beds. Elizabeth West, who shares their dormitory, was up as well, and Amber Davies, the other girl, was out for a jog, being so sporty. Elizabeth saw Hermione's troubled face as she came out of the showers and attempted to brush her unruly hair. She also saw all the unshed tears in Hermione's chocolate eyes with her own penetrating stormy gaze.

"What's wrong Hermione?"

Hermione sighed, her heart felt as though someone had trodden on it. Well, someone has, mentally, not physically. But nevertheless Elizabeth was sympathetic. She loved reading and lessons. She was very much like Hermione, but had befriended Amber instead. Elizabeth had long oak-coloured curls and soulful stormy grey eyes. Amber had glossy black hair and high cheekbones, and a few fair freckles. Her eyes were a dark rich reddish-brown and was a head taller than Hermione.

Hermione hesitated, wondering how much she could tell Elizabeth. She looked into the meaningful almond-shaped eyes and knew that Elizabeth was a person to listen and sympathize. With a wry smile she opened her mouth and spilled it all out about her feelings for Harry James Potter.

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Purplegabby123: I know what you mean, but there _might _just be something in Angelica that might change your mind…not saying nothing, just keep reading everybody!


	6. The Solution

A/N This might be a bit hasty as I am trying to squeeze it in before Chinese school (a.k.a. Sunday school rolls eyes)

Loving them reviews everyone!

Disclaimer: None of the below belongs to me apart from Angelica, Elizabeth and Amber

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Elizabeth's grey eyes betrayed no surprise nor sneering as Hermione poured out her heart to her. She looked at Hermione intensely, seeing the hurt and betrayal in those deep chocolate eyes with tears slowly leaking out of it.

"I don't think I should interfere in this," she said slowly, her lovely voice low. "I think you should just tell Harry what you fee."

"But _Angelica_ is there!" Hermione cried, throwing her arms up in despair and nearly hitting Elizabeth's head. "Liz, you don't know how _hard _this is going to be!"

"What's hard?" came a voice from the stairs and Amber poked her pale face into the scene. "What's going on?"

"Shall I tell her?" Elizabeth asked gently, looking at Hermione's tear-streaked face. She hesitated and looked at Amber, whose reddish-brown eyes bore both curiosity and sympathy, almost like Elizabeth. Hermione nodded.

So in the next five minutes Amber told them of her point of view.

"Ask him out Hermione!" Amber said energetically, as usual. "That Angelica is a total cow, there's no point in her with Harry! Ask him out!"

"But I _can't_," Hermione said in despair, tears flowing again. Elizabeth mopped her up with gentleness. "He's going to say no! He's my best friend!"

"Tell Ron then," said Elizabeth. Hermione snorted, a little smile on her face.

"Oh _him_, like he's going to be any use. Haven't you heard him when he saw Harry and Angelica?"

"Oh yeah," Amber rolled her rich eyes. "'Little Miss Prettykins and the Boy-Who-Lived, what a pair!'" she said in a high pitched voice. They laughed, and Hermione felt much better.

Sitting up, Hermione was about so say more when Parvati groaned and opened her sleepy eyes. Hermione turned away, not wanting the chatterboxes to listen to her tale. It was already bad enough with Viktor Krum in their fourth year, with them squealing and begging her to get them autographs. Then in fifth year they wanted her to let them kiss the letter she was sending to him. This year she's not letting those nosy people interfere.

"What's up?" asked Lavender, her hair tousled and jumping out of bed in her pink-and-white striped pyjamas. "Why are we all up?"

"Because the queen's coming," said Amber sarcastically. She hadn't liked Parvati nor Lavender, those were way too girly and stupid for her taste. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was neutral, standing in the middle and friends with everybody.

"Come on people, let's go," Amber said bossily. Hermione was about to follow when Elizabeth grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" she hissed, with smile. "If you're going to attract Harry then we needed to make you look _nice_."

"Does that mean I'm not nice _now_?" asked Hermione indignantly, earning a grin. Then Elizabeth began attacking her hair.

Half an hour later Hermione stepped into the Great Hall nervously, five minutes late for breakfast but not very late. She walked in on her own, as Elizabeth had instructed. She tried not to blush as tables of boys swivelled on their benches to look at her.

Her long dark brown hair was crimped and it waved all the way past her shoulder and curled at the end. She had a silver clip that

stopped her fringe from falling into her eyes which made them squint usually. Her eyes had a little kohl around them and mascara made her eyelashes blossom outwards, enhancing her eyes which had a little orange eye shadow. On her cheek was a little dab of pink blush and she had glittery pink lipstick on, just a little, not enough to get the teachers to tell her off.

She walked bravely to Harry and tapped him gently on the shoulder, as Amber had told her to. He turned around. His jaw dropped.

Hermione registered immediately that it was not very nice having people gawp at you during breakfast, because as soon as she sat down next to Harry (who was slowly blushing and Angelica glared at her from the other side of Harry) the whole hall was craning their necks just to look at her. Does she look that pretty? Her eyes began to sparkle with pleasure, making her even prettier than before.

That day nothing was done. First-years ran around shrieking and the N.E.W.T. class spent their time in the library and the prefects and head boy and girl helped the teachers tell the rule-breakers off. Harry and Ron were trying to get to Honeydukes to get something to eat, with Angelica at their heels, squeaking:

"Oh can I come can I come, Harry dear? I've never been to Hogsmeade before!"

"Shhh!" Ron hissed fiercely, making Angelica shrink away deliberately. "Don't go _yelling_ it to everybody!"

In the end Angelica couldn't go anyway, because she was caught by Amber and Elizabeth, who both have mischievous grins on.

_Who would believe a gentle, sensible girl like Elizabeth and a sporty and cool girl like Amber to think of such mischief? _Mused Hermione, looking at their retreating backs. _They could have been the reincarnation of Fred and George!_

They had made up a trick, not a very advanced one, one just to get Angelica into trouble. They had "borrowed" some powdered horn of a Bicorn and a couple of Boomslang skin from Snape's private store, and Elizabeth had pinched a hair from Angelica's pillow. Yup, you would guess.

"We're making a polyjuice potion," chorused the three of them, once Hermione had caught onto what they're after.

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Lord of the Darkness and Light: Yes they will be hopefully longer but last chapter I was kinda running out of ideas. I can promise you that some of the coming ones will be longer

H/H Shipper: I am soo pleased you like my fanfic! Yes I will update now.

BlueGirl90: Thanks I will try to update as soon as I can


	7. The Trick

Thanks for the reviews! I am so happy! I don't believe how many reviews I've had! Yay! Looking forward to more!

Disclaimer: None of these belong to me, and never will

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"Amber's going to do it," Elizabeth whispered to Hermione with a giggle, her eyes starry, during their 'tour' for Angelica because she was new, and McGonagall had very much approved it too.

Angelica was currently in a very bad mood. Elizabeth had dragged her to visit the Astronomy Tower, Professor Trelawney's room, the Dungeons, the Great Hall and the Entrance Hall, exclaiming in loud tones that it was the best place ever and that she, Angelica, _must _see them.

Meanwhile, an evil-smiling Amber was carefully slipping one of Angelica's fine hair into her little glass of Plyjuice Ption, which had been stewed for a month already, much to Hermione's surprise. It bubbled and fizzed and turned bright pink, much to Amber's disgust.

"Colour of vanity," she screwed up her nose, before swallowing it in one gulp.

"Oh dear Elizabeth can we go now?" asked a very frustrated Angelica, after being bored to death by Elizabeth's long lecture of Hogwarts history, dating back from the four founders to Lord Voldemort arriving at the school, down to now, which include - Hermione swallowed uneasily - Harry Potter's success. Her long and boring words were actually quite fascinating to Hermione, but they were like bees to Angelica, who never pays any attention to lessons. She just charms the teacher and gets let off as far as she is concerned. Elizabeth's drone, mused Hermione, could rival those of Professor Binns'.

"Right," said Elizabeth loudly, quite unlike her usual sensitive and soft form, steering a red-faced Angelica up to the Transfiguration room on the first floor.

"_This _my dear Angelica, is the first floor, of which includes all the Transfiguration classes as well as the Advanced Charms class, and here is all the trophy the Hufflepuffs have won, and because their common room is also on this floor, their things are also displayed here…"

This turned out to be quite the excursion, thought Hermione with a small smile.

She had wanted Elizabeth to tell her what they were planning, aside the Polyjuice Potion, but neither her nor Amber would tell, they just tapped their noses and twinkled their eyes, not unlike Professor Dumbledore.

At lunch time Elizabeth finally let a shrieking and tomato-faced Angelica run away with a scream, after the long boredom of Elizabeth describing each and individual history of the Head boy and girl and the prefects and goodness-knows-what that was in the Trophy Room.

"Er…Elizabeth?" asked Hermione tentatively, looking at the rather hyperactive girl bouncing along beside her. "Just _what _exactly is Amber going to do? Don't tap your nose at me!" she added hastily, seeing Elizabeth's hand reaching up. Then Elizabeth grinned.

"Oh, let's just say it's something that'll leave Harry Angelica-free for you," and she ran forward into the Great Hall with Hermione at her tails.

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron were just walking through the secret passage, without the invisibility clock but with the Marauders map, and their pockets bursting with Honeydukes sweets. They had just clamoured out of the witch's hump when Harry suddenly swore.

"Whoa Harry!" Ron went, looking at his friend in alarm. "What's wrong?"

"McGonagall's coming this way!" Harry hissed, grabbing Ron's arm and trying to make a break for it as well as stuffing their things back into the hole then sprinting, but unfortunately, before they had gotten to the end of the corridor they heard her shout:

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley! Come here at once!"

Heart sinking with horror at being discovered they trudged towards her.

"Just what is the meaning of this?" McGonagall asked sternly, looking at the two over her glasses.

"What's the meaning of what?" asked Harry, who decided that he might as well play dumb as McGonagall had no idea of what they had done.

"Going into Hogsmeade!" she shouted, glaring at them. Ron was about to protest that they had done no such thing but she had interrupted him. "Oh no you don't Weasley, I had my own resources and they confirmed that you had indeed sneaked into Hogmeade. I do not care how but you are breaking rules. Fifty points from Gryffindor and two nights of detention for both of you."

Then she turned briskly around and began marching back to the staff room, but then Harry had a sudden idea and skidded to where

his teacher had stood.

"Professor," Harry said, looking into her strict face. "Who told you this?"

"Please," Ron added, for Harry's benefit. "We aren't going to do anything, this is just out of curiosity."

Professor McGonagall looked at them for a moment, and Harry waited, wanting to hear who had split on them…there could be no-one, no-one knew they were going to Hogsmeade, no-one heard them…no-one except -

"Angelica Payne," said McGonagall at last with finality, then walking off at such fast pace Harry had no intention of following her any longer.

"I knew it!" Ron snarled, his eyes narrowing up in dislike. Harry chewed his lip. He wouldn't be surprised Angelica would go to McGonagall because they had not let her come with them, which, Harry reflected, would be a good thing to do anyhow, because she would only whinge and squeal all the way and get them caught anyway. "Angelica Payne…the angel of pain!" he chuckled at his weak joke.

"Come on, let's teach her a lesson," said Ron with a glower. Harry nodded curtly and they entered the common room.

"Oh Harry _darling_-" Angelica's voice could be heard first thing as soon as the two were in view. But her cooing faltered at the cold gaze Harry gave her.

"Angelica," he said, a muscle twitched at his mouth irritably. "We need to talk."

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There! My longest chapter yet! I expect a lot of reviews! Lol Took me three days at least! What will they talk about? Well anyone can guess. I'll update asap!

Book lover990: Good idea! I might just use that…wait and see everyone! Reviews greatly appreciated

Kutekelcie: Hey thanks for appreciating my story!

JTBJAB : Lol, yes I hope so too!

Purplegabby123: Yo, thanks!

Cupcakes-20 : Hey thanks for so many reviews!

Englishoc: I will try to make them longer, are they really that short? They're two pages on Word. I will try to make them longer but readers, I really need reviews on what to happen next. So far I had only had one, so reviews plz! Any mistakes found please tell me it would be so helpful too.


	8. Malfoy nice?

I am disappointed...my longest chapter yet and I've only got 4 reviews...ah well. Thanks for them anyway.  
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"Was Angelica in trouble?" asked Hermione in a worried voice, to Elizabeth, in their dormitory whilst Harry, Ron and Angelica have their "talk". 

"Look who's talking!" Amber exclaimed, leaping about a metre and a half into the air. "You're the one that wanted to get rid of her!"

Hermione smiled nervously.

"But Harry would realize it wouldn't be Angelica..."

"Like how?" asked Amber sceptically, doing handstand in the middle of the room with her long legs dangling downwards.

Hermione smiled a little. She loved her new friends. Amber and Elizabeth are totally unlike Parvati and Lavender. No giggling, nudges, or secretive looks that is just too superior for anyone. Hermione never knew whether to join in or just walk away whenever Parvati and Lavender were about, but now she just follows Amber and Elizabeth¡¦s samples: simply scorn and trod on them, but not bullying. In the last five years she had been so attached to Harry and Ron that she had not really noticed Amber and Elizabeth. She still remembered, vividly, back in the first year, that she had seen Amber and Elizabeth making friends. She had thought them as the height of coolness, as well as smartness, though the rank of the cleverest was still taken by her, Hermione Granger.

"Er, Amber?" Hermione began rather nervously, looking at the upside-down girl with her skirt falling downwards. "You might want to have some decency..."

Elizabeth, reading, choked back a laugh and flopped over, giggling.

"You think the explosion's over now?" she asked, subsiding at last, looking at her watch. "I mean, it's almost seven, dinner time, I think."

"Nah, it's only been two hours," Amber grinned, who, thankfully, had turned back over at last.

"Yeah, only," Elizabeth snorted, closing her book with a snap. "Let's go, I'm starving."

"That's, like, something Amber should say!" Hermione joked, earning laughs from her two new friends.

As they descended the stairs nothing could be heard. There was total silence. Where's everybody, Hermione reflected, pausing on the way down the stone steps with Amber and Elizabeth behind her. Maybe they've all gone to dinner, or maybe they're still banged up about whatever Harry and Ron said to Angelica.

Poking her head hesitantly into their common room she breathed a sigh of relief. It was only so silent because most of the people were at remedial potions, which included most of the first and second years. The third, fourth and fifth years were, by the shrieks of laughter issuing from the window, outside.

The trio walked out of the portrait hole and trailed down to the hall. As Elizabeth and Amber went into the noisy vicinity Hermione heard a very unpleasantly familiar voice.

"Hey Granger," Draco Malfoy drawled, standing, for once, on his own without Crabbe and Goyle, his cronies. Hermione tensed, remembering that Malfoy had caught her out of bounds before, then remembered that he couldn't remember it, due to the memory-erasing charm she had fired out of panic.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" asked Hermione acidly, taking a few paces away from him. He leaned casually against the high door and clicked his tongue.

"Heard there was a little problem with Potter and that simpering brat that came," he said, with his eyebrows raised. The corner of Hermione's mouth twitched. For once, she and Malfoy had agreed on something, but that doesn't mean they are allies.

"What's it to you?" she said sharply, narrowing her chocolate eyes.

Malfoy had grown a lot better now, she thought, her mind wandering wildly and rather out of control. Look at his eyes,such a cool granite colour, and his hair, such a creamy white, oh I long to run my fingers through them...

At the same time Draco was thinking along the same lines, Look at her, filthy Mudblood, only she's not a Mudblood any more. On man those eyes are just like a puppy's, and her lips, ooh I just want to kiss them..

Shaking out of his reverie Draco glared at Hermione.

"What's your problem, Mudblood?" he spat, avoiding her chocolaty gaze. Hermione shot daggers at him. As long as he doesn't look into those eyes, he made up his mind, he won't melt. If he does he'll soften up like Potter does. He glowered, then, as if a button had clicked in his head, he looked into her eyes.

"If anything's wrong, Granger, you can always tell me," he found himself saying to her. Hermione stared at him. She can't believe that he had said that.

"What?" she asked incredulously, looking at her archenemy.

"You heard me," Draco snarled, blushing slightly. "Now if you'll excuse me I've got dinner to go to and no time for people like you." He stormed into the hall.

Hermione stood rooted outside.

"He just said 'people like me'," she wondered out loud, fingering her curls. "Not 'Mudblood' or 'cow' or anything insulting like he usually does..."

She then thought back to what he said earlier. "If there's anything wrong you can always tell me." She warmed to that, but felt strange at the same time. It was so un-Malfoy-like for him to say that. Her head snapped up as he heard footsteps and someone with jet black hair came into view. Not wanting to hear the argument, Hermione quickly ducked into the hall, thinking of Draco Malfoy and what had happened between Harry and Angelica at the same time.  
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Sorry this took so long! I've been sooo lazy lately! And sorry this writing plus everything else apart from the contents, maybe, is totally rubbish from my view, this is on notepad because I can't load it when it's on wordpad which was really weird...More reviews please! I'm desperate I am so totally running out of ideas people!  
Purplegabby123: Oooh I love keeping my readers on teeter edges! Next chapter on what happened between Ron, Harry and Angelica!  
Fred: Thanks mate!  
Little miss meghan: More coming up JTBJAB: lol, well I'll do something about your idea! Coming up!


	9. Harry and Angelica's conversation

I think I forgot to put a disclaimer in my last chapter, well, here's the disclaimer anyway: NOTHING HERE WILL EVER BELONG TO ME, INCLUDING ALL CHAPTERS. THE CHARACTERS ALL BELONG TO THE BRILLIANT J.K. ROWLING!  
Plus...OMG 8 reviews! My mouth dropped open when I checked my email account! Thanks everybody! Luv you all!  
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An hour before...

"What's the meaning of this, Angelica?" Harry asked through gritted teeth, staring at the pretending-to-be-innocent face of Angelica in their common room. She always looked like that, to get herself out of trouble, and in this case although the face isn't working (it never does actually. People only let her off because they were sick of her drooling face) and she was pretending, she really had no idea of what was happening, which wasn't surprising as Amber, morphed into Angelica, was the person who had told on them.

Ron glared at Angelica as well. Like Hermione had said, he had the emotional range of a teaspoon, but nevertheless he had 'anger', 'sorrow' and 'incredulity/realization'. in this case he had 'anger' written clearly on his face. His ears were red, matching his hair and cheeks, and his blue eyes were wide and glaring.

"What do you mean, Harry dear?" asked Angelica in a sugary voice, making a horrible memory of Umbridge swim into Harry¡¦s mind. He gnashed his teeth. Ron growled. Angelica, despite being the airhead, knew instantly that something was wrong.

She began wrinkling up her nose, in a way which made many boys coo and turn into jelly, but Harry was having none of this.

"Oh stop it!" He roared at her . She did a double-take in pretend shock and covered her mouth as she always does.

"Angelica," Harry started again, in a shaking want-to-be calm voice. "Just exactly where did you go after Ron and I left for Hogsmeade?"

"Me?" Angelica said, in a feigned surprised voice. "Why, darling-"

"Oh shut up, none of that 'oh darling oh sweetie oh dipsy-mipsy-lovey-dovey' pish-posh again," Ron scowled, raising his ginger eyebrows. Harry raised his too, but they were aimed at Ron in surprise of his superior, or rather, long, onomatopoeia.

"Well," Angelica began for a second time, now glaring at Ron and looking quite like an enraged Veela for a moment. "I was with Elizabeth West and Amber Davies, oh, and that bookworm frizzle as well, Hermy-something."

Harry's hands shook at her verbal abuse of his best friend, but he let that pass.

"And why, may I ask, my dear enchanting-people newbie," cooed Ron on purpose. Harry longed to elbow him in the face. "were you with the very two people who despise you for being such a suck-up, plus Hermione Granger?"

"They dragged me along," said Angelica defensively, scowling at him, looking quite ugly for a moment, thought Harry, losing his love in this girl now. "They positively steamrollered over me then scooped me up and showed me all the common rooms, then the Astronomy Tower and Professor Trelawney's room, then the Dungeons, and the Great Hall, not to mention the entire history of the four founders of Hogwarts! As if I didn't know that already!"

"Are you abusing Elizabeth and Hermione's knowledge?" asked Harry in a dangerous voice.

"It's stupid," Angelica replied bluntly. "It's boring and useless, why do such nerds like those two bother to learn?"

"Because," said Harry, through gritted teeth. "Knowledge is what Hogwarts pride itself on, you foolish girl. Don'¦t underestimate what you don't understand."

"You're going off the subject, mate," said Ron, throwing a dirty look at Angelica, who wrinkled her nose at him in distaste.

"Er, right, Ron," said Harry briskly, returning back to the topic. "Where were you before we came to see you?"

"I was at lunch," said Angelica, puzzled and pouting with a cute smile. Harry ignored that too.

"Oh really?" asked Ron sharply. He whirled around and spotted Elizabeth, who happened to be just 'passing'. "Oi, 'Lizabeth? Come here!"

Angelica felt a bubble of relief. Elizabeth wouldn't lie, although, in Angelica's point of view, she was a naive and self-conscious thing.

Elizabeth's face held a malicious grin, which seemed very familiar to somebody, though Ron, only he couldn't put his finger on it at the moment. (A/N in fact it was Fred and George that was in Ron's mind)

"Hello Elizabeth," Angelica tried sweet talking and hint to Elizabeth to help.

"Hey Angelica," she replied just as sweetly, looking innocently at the guilty party. "What happened to you when we came to you at Break? Where did you go after our nice little exhibition?"

"I went nowhere," spat Angelica viciously, angry that Elizabeth was not helping her out of trouble, but pulling her even deeper into it instead. "You showed me all of those blooming boring stuff, and I don¡¦t even need a guided tour, thank you very much."

"I heard you say something about McGonagall," said Elizabeth snidely. "Before you rush off. I heard you say something about 'Hogsmeade' and 'let slip to McGonagall'. What was all that about, Angelica?"

Harry flared up. So this blasted girl did tell! If it wasn¡¦t for the fact that she was a girl and his Golden-Boy policy plus the patrolling teachers, he would have just stepped in and strangled her. So instead he retreated back to glaring at her instead, his emerald green eyes filled with hatred.

"I never said anything about McGonagall!" Angelica snapped, in her high-pitched sugary tone that was annoying Harry second by second. "I simply went to the Hall for lunch after your dictatorial speech!"

"Past the staff rooms?" asked Elizabeth loftily, and with that she flounced off, with a triumphant grin, knowing that she had gotten Hermione¡¦s annoying Harry-taker into trouble.

Harry's insides were bubbling. He did not care much for the lost points of Griffindor nor for the detentions he was getting. What he hated more than anything else was a sneak. And here, in his point of view, this people-charming spoilt girl was putting up a great show of pretending not to know.

Ron, who had been glaring at Angelica with his eyes almost popping out, snapped out of it. With an angry look at the (in their opinion) lying girl, he growled:

"What did you go running to McGonagall for?"

Harry was caught off guard. He remembered saying that very thing to Hermione back in the third year when Sirius had sent him a Firebolt for Christmas, and he had been furious that Hermione had told their head of house, who had confiscated and stripped it. Thankfully it had been returned, in full condition, after no jinxes had been found.

And speaking of jinxes...

Then Harry remembered Quirrell cursing his Nimbus 2000 when he was a first year, and that, he thought, linking to his previous thoughts, might have happened to him had not Hermione gotten the teachers to search it for curses. Certainly, a top-of-the-range Firebolt could do way more damage than a measly Nimbus 2000 could. After three years he finally appreciated Hermion'¦s help and thinking.

"McGonagall?" Angelica's sweet voice brought him back to Earth with a bang. "Oh, that old bat. I never went to her, why should I?"

"Because you told on us, you-" and here, Ron swore rather badly, making the nearby portrait, an old, bearded wizard who had been watching the argument quite mildly, as well as what had remained of the Gryffindor common room after three-quarters of the people had raced out and out of the explosion, stare at him. The old wizard whispered, quite audibly: "Really!"

Ron ignored him. "Do you realize how much I hate a sneak? Especially a snooty, girlish, squeaky little sugar mouse like YOU!" he shouted, making Angelica false-cower. She did this not because she was scared, although she was scared easily, but because she wanted sympathy, and appear weak, as a girl usually appears, cartoon or reality.

"But I never, handsome," she said angelically, batting her eyelashes at Harry, whose insides churned in anger.

"ALL THE EVIDENCE POINTS AGAINST IT!" Harry found himself yelling, sending several first years cowering. "WHY DO YOU KEEP LYING? THERE¡¦S NO POINT, WE KNOW YOU SNEAKED ON US AND THERE'S NO POINT IN BEING ROUND WITH YOU. EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU DISGUSTS ME. Oh no you don't!" Harry snarled, as her lips started pouting and her mouth started forming a "Babe".

"I've had enough!" Harry shouted, turning round and walking briskly out of the room, with a glowering Ron following him.

Harry fumed, and Ron muttered angrily under his breath. They were late for dinner. Every so often Harry heard a bit of Ron's rantings.

"'Oh darling', indeed..."

"How sick can one get?"

As they rounded around a corner Harry thought he saw a flash of dark brown curls disappearing into the Great Hall. With a deep breath to calm him down, he entered.  
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I am soooo sorry this took so long! I've been dead lazy lately.And soo sorry this text format is rubbish, and apologies for any punctuation problems. For some reason I couldn't upload it on Wordpad again, so I have to do with Notepad, which is just so RUBBISH.

LOOK AT ALL THE REVIEWS I HAD FOR THE LAST CHAPTER! Why is it so much more popular than my longest one? Hm...

Lost in Land: Wow! It really feels real? Thank you!

Iluvmyface: Ah! You'll see!

Lord of the Darkness and Light: Don't worry, this love story won't disappoint you, hopefully. I am a total Harry/Hermione fan, mate

Loveyoutoomuchtolieinyourface: Um...actually, boff means boffin, and a boffin is another word for a know-it-all, like Hermione¬¬, lol.

Acdcgirl2029: Ooh thanks!

Purplegabby123: Ah, did I say so in the previous chapters? I'm sorry if I did. The "yelling" as you put it, is posted now! Plz let me off!

Sarahrules336: Hey thanks, I hate it when people add new characters as well, but I HAD to make Hermione jealous!

Kutekelcie: Thanks Kazz! I'm so glad people like my chapters! Woohoo!

Book lover990: Thanks, but I think I might not update so frequently now I am off addicting the fanfic website, but I still promise weekly updates!

Hellyx x: No I don¡¦t know who you are! Lol, only joking. Thanks for the review but I have my own ideas¡Ktaps nose but your idea might come in handy! Read on everybody! See you later Helly!

Pozest-Illusion : Thanks for your many reviews! I am hoping to get some very long chapters, so unfortunately, at my laziness, I might have to update only once a week, apart from holidays. Sorry folks!

A note for everyone! To celebrate every 10 chapters I will write about 3 or 4 pages at least for chapters 10, 20, 30, etc (which meant, readers, that the next chapter will be as long as I can make it!). If I get more and more reviews (and it's those who I mention at the end of my chapters and nothing else) and I am cheered to a good mood or something like that I will write very long chapters! I can promise you that, so reviews please everybody! Greatly appreciated! Especially with ideas on what to happen next, vague or detailed, don't really care! Any would do! But please, be constructive. Don't mind flames as long as everybody gives me ideas on what to write next! Thank you.


	10. The Sorting

Disclaimer: Nothing here belongs to me at all.

Chapter 10 - Longer chapter! Hopefully I've got enough ideas for quite a long chapter for you people.

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Hermione smiled slightly as Elizabeth approached her - but hadn't Elizabeth gone in already? Can't remember. Hermione shrugged and moved over to Amber to make space for her.

"Hey, where were you?" asked Hermione curiously, suddenly remembering that she had gone into the Great Hall with Amber leaving her hesitating outside. "I saw you come in here!"

Elizabeth laughed and her eyes glittered maliciously as she sat down.

"Well?" asked Hermione persistently. Elizabeth made as though to tap her nose then spank her on the forehead but Hermione whipped out her wand threateningly as though she was about to curse Elizabeth. Elizabeth looked amusingly alarmed, with her light eyebrows lifted, almost disappearing in her flowing hair, and her little mouth open and her eyes kept blinking. Hermione giggled.

"I don't get called the cleverest witch of the year for nothing," she teased, then Elizabeth got the joke, and laughed heartily. Along the table Harry heard her laugh and craned his neck to see who she was laughing with. His heart fell with a pang. Hermione.

He still haven't worked out why Hermione had deserted his and Ron's friendship, well, mostly _his_, but to his knowledge Hermione had neither been with Ron or him, and when he tried to consult Ron with it, his emotional-range-of-a-teaspoon best mate only guffawed at him and Angelica's match. His anger was still bubbling, not as fiercely as before, but still enough to glower at a mock-tear-streaked face of Angelica.

She didn't look remotely pretty now. Her fake tears, which she had let run in hopes of getting people to pity her, especially Harry, had smudged her mascara and ran down her cheek in a line of watery black. Her lips looked shiny with lipstick and puffed up, and her eyelashes clung together. She wore a heavy scowl when she looked in Harry's direction, thinking what an idiot he was, and how she could win his heart back.

Hermione was laughing at Amber's silly face, because she, Amber, was mimicking Angelica, with a very good likeness. Amber came from a Muggle family. Her father was Jonathon Moore, and her mother was Fiona Wayne, both very famous actors, and so Amber had inherited their genes as well. Hermione was very happy, happier than she had been with the boys, she realized, as Amber pulled her mouth open grotesquely.

Finally breaking their chatter and face-pulling, Hermione looked up at the staff table, and, to her immense pleasure and relief, that Dumbledore was back. His silver beard glimmered under the starry night, and he was smiling down at the students. Professor McGonagall was telling off a rather dishevelled blonde boy who sat with the Hufflepuffs. Apparently, according to Dean Thomas, he had been bombarded with stink pellets and ink bombs by Peeves, and had came to the hall in a disastrous state. Their head of house was severely giving the poor boy a good snapping, then resulting in a detention, seeing as he was a first year and points could not be taken off yet.

Up on the staff table, Dumbledore stood up. Hermione beamed at him and his eyes twinkled back at her. The hall fell silent.

"Er-hem," Dumbledore began. "Well, I am sincerely begging your pardon for coming back so late, but I have my own business to attend to which had stretch to a rather astonishing and, to many staffs, disapprovingly long time. I sincerely beg your pardon. Now, having listened to my dreary talk, let the sorting begin!"

Professor Flitwick carried the stool with the battered school hat forward. The whole hall was silent. Hermione had her eyes glued at the old garment, which had opened a mouth and started to sing.

_I know I sound a daft old fool,_

_I know I made no sense,_

_But however I must make it clear_

_Of old and new type tense,_

_Of old ones dead and new ones live_

_The one thing in connection:_

_Of great success and greater deeds_

_The one and good submission,_

_The Hogwarts Four of old times gone_

_Now whittled down to three,_

_Gave these great honours to humans known_

_Trained down to make you see._

_That the only thing to carry forward _

_Is the sweetest thing we know,_

_No cares on neither pals or pets_

_Or either friend or foe,_

_With longer talks and longer waits _

_I will quickly tell the truth:_

_By uniting the founders four_

_Thus igniting the deadly truce…_

_Bold Gryffindor, from mild moor,_

_Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff from valley broad,_

_Shrewd Slytherin from fen,_

_Now these great founders four_

_Had formed a chained cuff,_

_With Gryffindor and Ravenclow_

_Then Hufflepuff and Slytherin_

_What they have found is love,_

_So tarry not your time has come_

_So young as you may be,_

_Came uniting time came heaven sublime_

_Came more than you may see._

_Loving each other forever more_

_Brings the world together_

_Forming great ambitions, ignitions,_

_Together forever and ever._

_May this be forgotten_

_May this be forever gone_

_Heard it once, never again,_

_Listen to this song._

The hat's song faded into nothingness. Harry sat there, spellbound. It was as though the hat knew what had happened! The hall was deadly silent as well. The teachers were gawping with their mouth wide open, at the hat, for it had never gave advice on teenager stuff before, only unity in the Fifth year. Then, little by little, the hall began clapping and Harry joined in, feebly.

Professor McGonagall came marching in, briskly, with first years stumbling after her, looking, thankfully, drier than it had been when Dennis Creevey had first been sorted. The professor unrolled a long list, on parchment.

"Ainsley, Tirana," she said, her square spectacles flashing slightly.

A tall blonde girl with proud features walked bravely onto the stool and sat there, still.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted. Tirana smiled brightly, put the hat down, and skipped down the steps towards the Ravenclaw table.

"Attorney, Philip," A nervous boy with ruffled dark brown hair hobbled up and placed the hat on his head, his hands shaking violently.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted, after quite a while, and poor Philip had shook from head to toes. Blushing, Philip took it off and stumbled slightly on his way to the Hufflepuff table.

"Baser, Gwendolyn," went to Gryffindor, causing many screams of joy.

"Bentley, Iota" became a Ravenclaw too, but after three names, "Charley, James" became a Slytherin. He was a bug-like boy, with skinny arms and legs, and a twitching, face.

"Morrison, Kendal" Hufflepuff.

"Mullins, Tray" Gryffindor.

"Musty, Quentin" Slytherin. Then, at last -

"Payne, Angelica"

Angelica, who had been standing with the first years, tossing her hair and looking at them down her nose, sniffed and strolled up to the hat. Hermione held her breath as the battered hat covered Angelica's blonde head, down to her nostrils. She saw Angelica squirming in disgust at the battered garment. The hat seemed to be pondering.

Meanwhile, Harry had lost total interest in the sorting, being used to so many dinners now. He looked up in boredom in time to hear the hat shout "Gryffindor" and a loud groan followed it somewhere along the table. He craned his neck to look.

To Hermione's horror Angelica had been sorted into Gryffindor, which meant she was to have Harry with her all day! ALL DAY! She was absolutely devastated, but, as she cooled to think, ignoring Angelica's simpering and fluttering eyelashes as she hopped onto their table, she, Hermione, was suddenly sounding like a moody, selfish old cow, and had her claws clung tight to her man. She sighed, and spotted Amber's and Elizabeth's disgusted looks.

"What?" she whispered, as "Stevenson, Maya" got sorted into Gryffindor. She clapped along with her fellow house.

Amber's mouth twitched as she glowered fiercely. Hermione won't be surprised if the person she was glaring at would have a hole in their head, if there was any at all.

"_Flipping_ Angelica got _flipping_ sorted into our _flipping_ house so we've got to _flipping_ spend every _flipping_ common time and almost every _flipping_ lessons with that _flipping_ bi -…girl," Amber spluttered, fighting not to swear. Hermione and Elizabeth almost laughed, but stopped as Dumbledore stood up and called out:

"Let the feast begin!"

Hermione was suddenly overcome by an emotion of hungriness, not unlike the one Ron usually has, who was pigging himself at the end of the table. Her stomach curled at the thought of the dental health of Ron's teeth with so many food crammed into it. Genes from her parents, no doubt.

She daintily cut up some pork chops then some roast potatoes. Eating them lady-likely she ate until she saw Angelica slithering up to Harry again, even after their argument (Hermione is assuming they had one, of course, with a look at Harry's hot, angry face).

Just as she picked up her pumpkin juice she saw Angelica's hand slither around Harry's arm. A revolting feeling climbed up her stomach and her fingers slipped. The goblet dropped and stained the tablecloth up to several feet away. Janice Shorewood from third year glared at her from across the table.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears again as she hastily tried to wipe it and snivelled. Then, an annoyingly hurtful scene played itself in her mind's eye.

_Angelica ruffled Harry's hair, and pulled him in for a long kiss. Harry followed suit, and enveloped her mouth in a passionate and hungry kiss. Pieces wretched from her heart…empty spaces…flying colours…blackout…_

Hermione stood up as calmly as she could. Her knees wobbled and threatened to buckle, but she held them still with an alarming glare that made Alice Tilley, a new first year, shiver.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" asked Elizabeth concernedly, looking up at her from her blueberry pie. She got up and nodded meaningfully at Amber, who looked hostilely at Angelica, having got the message.

"I thought we had rid of her," Amber muttered under her breath, as Elizabeth followed Hermione out of the hall, after giving her five minutes of self-space.

Harry sat, losing appetite, letting Angelica's whimpering wash over him without getting a single word in. Ron sat across from him, smirking all over his face, thinking what a perfect couple Angelica and Harry are, with his (Ron's) one-inch-squared volume of mind.

Something, a skirt hem, brushed softly against the back of Harry's head as Angelica slobbered herself over Harry (not literally), and he turned around. He caught sight of a mass of dark brown curls framing a pink-cheeked, pointed face with tears flowing like a waterfall on it. His eyes widened in shock as he realized who it was.

_Hermione._

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Like the song? I love poetry but they aren't any good, I love the rhymes as well! Phew, may this be the last piece of poetry posted - I am soo nervous about what people thinks of my ideas! Well, this might be lame, but the "long" chapter I had promised seemed to be taken up by the song, mostly. I am sincerely sorry for that.

I haven't got much reviews here…sob, hopefully this very long chapter ( 5 pages long!) will get me some more. Also I am running out of ideas so could people review and give me some please?

Katrina: Wow you've really been waiting for the update, haven't you! Lol, thanks!

Anon: Thanks ever such a lot! Did it really made you happy? I thought it was a bit too…er…not-for-good-people thing, it's like it's not meant for good people i.e. Elizabeth or Harry, to do such stuff, well, thanks for liking it.

Sarahrules336: Thanks, long chapter up now! Hope you look forward to long chapter 20


	11. The Confession

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of, nor relating to Harry Potter.

Oooh, I love all the reviews! They are so constructive, thanks A LOT everybody, I am sincerely thankful.

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Hermione walked slowly up the stone steps, tears now running out for she had been leaking them out so often. She was also ashamed of herself. One: She knew, deep in her heart, that she loved Harry, but with Angelica flaunting herself and being Harry's best friend herself, she can't ask him out! Two: to her, tears were precious. You don't cry just because you feel like it, or to get you out of trouble, something Angelica might do, or maybe Lavender or Parvati.

"Oh _why _does she have to be in Gryffindor?" she groaned out loud, then stopped herself in case she was heard, which was too late.

Lucky for her, the corridor was deserted. Although she couldn't explain it right now, she wanted to be a loner. Alone, though cold, at least with one's own company. No interferences, no cross-references, no emotions whether romantically, physically or mentally. Hermione smiled grimly as she walked up to the Owlery.

"Hello, Aeterna," she murmured in a pleased voice, as a short-eared owl fluttered to her outstretched arm. It hooted, its short ears raised in recognition. Hermione smiled faintly. "Since you can't understand, nor tell, I might as well tell you what's going on."

Something dark flickered at the far end of the circular tower, but she didn't notice, and instead made herself comfortable on the straws, away from the owl waste and food.

"Well, Aeterna," Hermione took a deep breath, unaware of anything else but the owl which she had gotten fond of, which hooted softly and looked at her out of its large deep brown eyes. "I-I really like Harry…but he's my friend, my best friend, in fact…he's with Angelica now, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm-I'm not jealous - I'm not! Well, maybe just a little. Harry's been with me and Ron for simply ages, Aeterna, we're the 'Golden Trio' as people put it. We're never apart. Until now." Tears began to form in her eyes again, and she brushed them away with her spare left hand.

"Harry…Angelica promptly fell on him, as soon as she spotted him. I don't think it was true love, even from my angle, which I will admit, was pretty biased seeing as I'm falling for him as well. I don't get it!" Her voice rose, several owls overhead twittered in alarm, and she calmed down again, and stroked the owl. "I am truly in love with him, and Angelica's just slobbering over him just because he's the 'Boy who lived' and Harry's kissing her already!" She cried, getting hysterical. " AND he asked her out! I don't believe it!"

More owls hooted indignantly, making Hermione realize she was, yet again, talking too loudly. She breathed a couple of times and said, quietly now. "I've been with him for five years. Five years! And what do I get? Jeers for being a know-it-all, yells because of telling McGonagall about the Firebolt - for his own good! And he sided with Ron just because my poor Crookshanks just happened to be made as though he ate Scabbers! What do I _do, _Aeterna? I wish you could speak…I wish there was some real _person _I could confide in."

_What the heck is that Mudblood doing, talking to herself? No, talking to an owl, which makes her even weirder._

Aeterna hooted reassuringly, then, with a delicate nip on her arm, she fluttered off up into the darkness and out of sight.

Hermione sighed.

"I'm all alone now. No Harry, no Ron, Amber and Elizabeth won't understand much, even if they're so lovely. There's no-one."

"There's always me." came a very familiar drawl from the darkness near the door. Hermione leapt up in alarm and glared at the blonde face coming forward towards her. Draco's icy cold eyes surveyed Hermione's dried tears on her heart-shaped face.

"What do you want, Draco?" Hermione snapped venomously, then remembered something. "You haven't been eavesdropping on me, have you?" she shouted furiously, earning screeches from the owls up above.

"Not eavesdropping," Draco said cooling, inspecting his hands in a maddeningly superior air. "Just happened to hear your…shall we say 'confession'?"

"What!" Hermione shouted, marching towards him, sparks igniting from the tip of her wand in which she clutched with her right hand. Her eyes shot sparks as well. She put her face right up to Draco's, scowling at him. "Tell nothing, or you'll wish you'd never been born!"

Draco's cool eyes reflected Hermione's angry, fiery dark brown ones. All of a sudden, he leaned forward and kissed the angry girl, right on the lips.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to pull out, but he was so warming and gentle, after her ranting on Harry. Suddenly she broke the kiss and raised her hand to slap him, as hard as she could.

Draco deflected it easily, and grabbed her right hand, which she had wanted to slap with, with his left hand.

"Relax, Hermione," he said, softly, brushing the tears running from Hermione's eyes, with his spare right hand. "I'm not here to torture you, mentally." He smiled slightly at that. "Now, I heard what you said to - your owl?" At the back of his head his mind said: "What a weirdo, talking to her owl…" but he pushed back his feelings and was determined to be nice for once. "Don't go looking for love, love will come to you."

"Really?" Hermione's eyes softened and she stowed her wand slowly back into her robes. "Hang on." Her eyes hardened with suspicion again. "Why should I trust you? You've spent the last five years at Hogwarts wrecking my life, darkening my daytime and torturing my nights! Why would a pureblood - a Draco - like you want to pity a silly, ugly little Mudblood like me?" she spat the last part viciously, scowling heavily once more.

Draco glared at her.

"Well thank you very much, Granger!" he snapped. "I came to comfort you, to be nice, for once in my life, if you must, and here you are, slapping it back in my face! I thought you had honour, I thought you had pride! You're no better than those sluts I've had -"

SMACK!

"DON'T you call me a slut!" Hermione yelled, whilst Draco clutched at his face, pain written on his face, though not very extremely, as Hermione had used up most of her anger being bottled up inside. "Just leave me alone! I can deal with this, Angelica and Harry…Angelica and Harry…" she repeated the last part, in a low voice, which shook. Her shoulders heaved as she started crying again. Surprised at his gentleness, Draco put his arms around her and drew her into a warm hug. Hermione's shoulders ceased at his comforting touch.

"Oh Draco…" she sobbed into his shoulder, wrapping her hands around his waist as he rubbed circles on her back. "What do I do…"

Draco felt the familiar urge to taunt her, as he had for the last five years, but something, something peculiar, made him hesitate. He had never had this feeling before, and it made him very uncomfortable. It took him a while to realize what it is, for, being so smart at times, this was a mixture of feelings. It was, to his surprise, sympathy, and, to his half-horror and half-extreme surprise, love.

"It'll work out," Draco said confidently, as Hermione's sobbing ceased and she looked up into his icy blue eyes. He nearly drowned himself into those warm, beautiful, emotional, deep chocolate-brown eyes. Her soft lips curled into a grateful smile.

"Thanks…Draco," she said, at last, feeling comforted and at ease. She stepped away from the embrace, and checked her watch. It was ten o'clock, almost past her curfew. "I-I've got to go now. Thanks for everything."

She was about to go when Draco grabbed her hand. She twisted around and looked at him. He crossed the floor in two brisk strides and put his arm around her waist. Hermione tilted her head up. Draco slowly lowered his head, and planted his lips onto hers.

The loving silence sustained for a while, broken only by the soft hooting of owls overhead.

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Aeterna, named after my first reviewer, Lux Aeterna, thanks!

Flair Verona: First person to review my very long chapter! Thank you so much!

Smiley: It's in brackets because it's like a kind of flashback. Maybe it should have been in italics…and, thanks for the ideas! I love them! And your idea _might _just be what happened! cough well, wait and see!

JCAL: Thanks, I'm so glad you like it!

Kazz : lol! If I could include you in the story then that would be what happen!

Book lover990: You're not the only one who groaned! For those who were wondering whose the "loud groan across the table" was, it was Hermione, and I forgot to put that bit in!

Thanks for the contributions on what to happen next, because I'm really running out of ideas! Lol


	12. Hermione Tells

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Hey readers, for the first time I've checked my chapters, and I realized that they are _way_ too short! I'll try to lengthen them, and hopefully they'll be at least five or six pages on word! Love them reviews!

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Hermione's absence wouldn't be ignored even with Harry's confusion at Angelica's slobbering cuteness and Ron's anger.

"Hey, where's Hermione?" Harry finally said, after prising a squeaking Angelica off him, and sitting near the fire. Amber's sharp ears caught this, and before Ron could reply, she had answered.

"What do you _think_, you insolent dimwit?" she spat, angry at Harry's thick attitude towards their plan in setting up Angelica, who had resumed her position in sugaring Harry, unruffled. The only success is that Harry is certainly more wary of Angelica now, and he, hopefully, had realized that she was a threat (in his point of view) to his and Ron's rule-breaking as she can tell on them if they leave her out of anything.

Harry just stared. He had no idea what the girl was talking about. The only thing that occurred to him was that he had somehow deeply offended and angered her, whom he had not really taken notice of, as well as Elizabeth, till now. Amber's deep eyes flashed and looked aflame, and her glossy black hair framing her proud features, making her obvious anger radiate from her like an exploded atomic bomb.

Elizabeth was glaring at him too, but it concealed slight amusement at Harry's ignorance and some sympathy towards Hermione. Unlike Amber, who was sincerely loyal and sensitive, as well as hiding a rather radioactive red-hot temper, she, Elizabeth, had a sense of humour that was better than Amber's and could take hurtfulness in another way. Right now she was surveying the shocked Harry, Angelica-less.

Being soulful and with a fair, understanding mind, Elizabeth was a very good listener and a good Agony-Aunt. Through the emerald green eyes of Harry's, she could see shameful but concealed love, for a certain girl, as well as flattered disgust at Angelica. Under that she saw the wound of his orphaned past, then, just above that, the frightened adventurous feeling throughout his first, second and fourth year, then the joyful reunion of a family in his third, and the extreme deep gash of when he lost his closest thing to a family he had ever had, Sirius, his godfather. It's a wonder how an average sixteen-year-old like Elizabeth can read exactly what had happened just by looking into one's eyes. Had she known it, she could have been a most skilled legimens herself.

Harry, as though responding mentally, felt like he was being x-rayed. Thoroughly. His eyes went back to the blazing dark red ones of Amber's.

"Well?" she said heatedly. "Hermione gave her heart, you worthless brainless _flobberworm_! And all you can do is let that gooey cow flap all over you, like a mother!"¨ She knew she had touched a nerve. Harry felt a volcano building up.

"Don't you dare insult my mother!" he yelled back, fire blazing his eyes that matched Amber's. Their anger was really heating the place up now. Students around scurry for cover.

"I wasn't insulting your mother, Potter!" Amber shouted, leaping up and staring Harry right in the eyes. Flames matching flames. "I am merely imploring that you are: A) Breaking a certain girl's heart, B) Ruining your title as the "Boy-Who-Lived" and C) Just making a stupid prat out of yourself!" Harry shook as Amber turned on her heels and stormed up to the girl's dormitory, the time being half past ten. He slowly at down. Elizabeth had resumed back to her book, but her eyes were unseeing, her mind swirling with the argument over Hermione.

Harry was thinking deeply too, his thoughts running round and round what Amber had said. _Hermione gave her heart ... you are breaking a certain girl's heart..._

Hey, Ginny!" Ron said conversationally, waving his sister over. "What's wrong with Hermione? And where _is_ she?"

"For both questions, don't know," she said shortly, blushing slightly as she saw Harry. "Hi Harry!" she adopted a small, shy and squeaky voice not unlike Angelica's, which maddens Harry even more.

"Go away," he muttered through clenched teeth. Ginny was annoying, and he was going over his feelings for Hermione (at last) and he didn't need another Harry Potter Fan Club member crawling around and cuddling him. At least Colin Creevey was more of awed of Harry than wanting to be in love , which, Harry shuddered at the thought of Colin chasing him, was exactly what Ginny Weasley was doing right now. He was really annoyed at Ginny's squeakiness and flattery.

"Harry, don't be sad, you're okay, don't worry if _Hermione_ doesn't like you any more, look, _I_ like you!" she said dramatically, as though it really mattered that she liked Harry. Harry looked stonily at her. He had just realized that she fancies him (his feelings were rather slow at the moment). His best friend's little sister! And Ron approved of it, but, one little snag, Harry _doesn't_!

Just as Harry was cringing under Ginny's squawks of forced laughter at her lame joke, something about a love square including Harry, Hermione, a boy and herself, the portrait opened, revealing a dark-haired girl. Hermione. Harry's head snapped up at the sound of her footsteps.

"Hermione!" he cried in relief, having worried about her safety.

Hermione's heart tightened at the sight and the sound of Harry. His loveable green gaze held her own warm chocolate ones. Her knees felt watery but then something hardened over her soft heart. Draco had kissed her. Harry hadn't. Draco wanted her. Harry doesn't. Draco was there for her when she needed a comfort most. Harry wasn't. Draco Draco Draco. Not Harry.

"Out of my way, Potter!" she said sharply, ignoring the cringe in her heart, the love for him. Kicking it mentally out of the way, she brushed past Harry to Elizabeth, who had waited for her at the bottom of the stairs, and together they disappeared up to the girls' dormitory.

Harry felt winded, unfeeling. Even with goggled-eyed Ginny at his heel, he couldn't feel anything except the fact that all oxygen seemed to have been sucked out of his lungs. His heart failed to pump. His head swam, even worse than last year when he was fighting to rise to the surface without gills, with Ron and Gabrielle Delacour weighing him down. His legs felt like jelly.

Angelica had retreated back to the sofa, nettled due to the fact that Harry had snapped at her, and he had risen to greet Hermione so willingly, but that cow had just brushed him away like a fly. She glared jealously at the mature girl with long curls striding up to her dormitory, seething.

Hermione's insides were bubbling. Bubbling with jealousy and hurt at how much Harry was taking notice of Angelica and ignoring her; bubbling with unsure love for Draco; bubbling with anger at Ron at his way-less-than-average logic, saying how compatible Angelica was with Harry, in front of Hermione, who had been debating whether to ask Harry out or not.

She stomped up the stone steps, behind Elizabeth. When they opened the door to the sixth years dormitory they saw Amber practising double-cartwheels ending in a graceful fourth croisé plié. Not surprisingly, Amber does ballet as well, which was astonishing as she comes from a wizarding family, as a three-quarter blood, her father being half-blooded.

"I never knew you do ballet, Amber!" Hermione said, her anger bubbled into nothingness in her surprise, sitting on her bed and looking at the slim, graceful, cart wheeling/ballet girl who was now doing dévelopés. Hermione marvelled the way the girl managed to stay so sure-footed on tiptoe and being so tall at the same time.

"Oh, I do," Amber said, without the slightest sign of embarrassment. "My Grandmother was a ballet dancer when she married my Grandpa. My Dad had no talent at all so they decided to put it all in me. Mum, on the other hand, fancied me being a sportswoman, because she had always admired the sprinters and the high-jumpers, so I'm that as well!" Elizabeth and Hermione laughed heartily and Amber grinned, and did a forward flip and landed softly in front of Hermione.

"So, Hermione, what happened between you and Draco Malfoy?" she asked casually. Hermione almost fell for it but she collected herself in time.

"What the _hell_?"she cursed, then clapped her hands to her mouth. The other two laughed again. "How do you know that? Assuming that I really met him, of course." she added hastily at the smirks of her roommates.

"Oh don't pretend, my dear _Hermy_," Elizabeth teased her. "We know how to _Grawp_ your moments," Hermione frowned then she realized.

"You _knew_!" she shrieked, leaping up. "You knew about Draco; you knew about Hagrid's mission; you knew about Grawp!"

"Draco, huh?" Amber said snidely, smiling at Hermione.

"We're not ignorant, you know," said Elizabeth conversationally. "We seemed insignificant, but we know a lot more than people bargain for."

"Such as?" said Hermione sceptically. Amber smirked.

"Such as the forthcoming event of a certain Miss Granger becoming the girlfriend of Mr. Potter!" Hermione shrieked and threw a pillow at Amber.

"I do _not_ fancy Potter!"

"Oooh, Potter, is it now?" Amber said from the floor, having just been attacked by a ferocious Hermione. "First Draco, and now Potter. Who're you falling for anyway, Herms?"

'Herms' growled and Amber retreated, saying :"Alright, alright, you win." Hermione sat back down, sighing, and thinking about what they had said.

_We know a lot more than people bargain for...Kthe forthcoming event of a certain Miss Granger becoming the girlfriend of Mr. Potter...first Draco and now Potter, who're you falling for?_

She looked up into the searching looks of Amber and Elizabeth.

"We know more about people than people know about us," said Elizabeth promptly, reading Hermione's eyes exactly. Those large, clouded chocolate eyes gazed at her helplessly.

"I-I..." she began in her defence, but faltered. She looked down at the carpet whilst Amber and Elizabeth surveyed her unceremoniously (A/N I've absolutely no idea what that word means, but it seems to fit into this line and it sounds good too! Anyone willing to tell me the meaning? Greatly appreciated)

"You really like Harry, don't you, Hermione?" said Elizabeth finally, interpreting her gaze correctly and sitting beside the girl on her bed.

"You like Malfoy as well, don't you?" Amber asked immediately after her. Hermione hesitated, but their words floated back into her mind.

_We know a lot more than people bargain for..._ Knowing that they will find out eventually, if needed at all, she gave in. She nodded. Stopped. And nodded again. Amber and Elizabeth smiled secretively, not wanting to prevent their roommate from saying further.

"Which one do you like more?"

Hermione was silent. Elizabeth knew what she was thinking, as usual.

"I don't know," she chanted, the same time as Hermione exploded those words.

"STOP READING MY MIND!" Hermione yelled at Elizabeth, her curls sparkling in anger.

"Well I can't help that!" said Elizabeth conversationally, raising up and approaching her bed. "Now, if you've finished shouting at me, Mrs. Potter, I need to go to bed,"

It wasn't until Hermione was brushing her curls and Amber's snores were heard in the dark dormitory, did she realize that she had been called Mrs. Potter, and had not objected to it.

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Once again I apologize for any punctuation mistakes or wrong settings because, like I said, once again I couldn't load this onto fanfic by wordpad, so I have to use that _blimming_ notepad which turns out totally rubbish. Anyway...

Helly x x: lol, yours too!  
Flair Verona : Thanks, I'm so happy!  
Lord of the Darkness and Light: Oh, sorry if I confused you, but this really is a Harry/Hermione fanfic, and it'll turn out right, seriously!  
Littlemissmeghan: Thank you, am I really that good?  
Kawaiididiblossom: Lol, I'm a girl. Thanks for your review, and is a soap opera really good? Sorry if I seem ignorant, I'm sometimes like that, I don't watch soaps.  
Razz: lol! Good luck with the ammo! Try a dagger next!  
Purplegabby123: Oh yes definitely, this is a Harry/Hermione fanfic. I know it doesn't seem like one at the moment, but Draco kissing Hermione is part of my plot, so read on!  
Book lover990: Wow, I never thought of that! It might just happen!


	13. Too Many Broken Hearts

OMG I can't believe how many reviews I've got! THANK YOU VERY MUCH EVERYBODY! Because I got so much reviews and I am soooo happy I have decided to extend this chapter as long as I can! Yay! The more views the longer the next chapter! Reviews plz!

Disclaimer: Nothing below belongs to me (well, apart from the reviews, lol)

On with the story!

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The next day lessons started. Hermione looked down tiredly onto her timetable: she hadn't been able to sleep until sometime near one or two in the morning. First thing was Double Potions. She groaned over brushing her hair. Just what she needed. Pretending to stick to someone not Harry or Ron and ignoring the raving love for both Harry and Draco, plus isolating Draco away at the same time for he was a Slytherin.

What can she do?

She sat down at breakfast, next to Ginny, who was edging away from her title of Hermione's 'best friend'. She, Ginny, had been jabbering on and on about Harry, about his hair, his eyes, his clothes, his talent on the Quidditch pitch (he had been restored to being a Seeker again, and Ginny wanted to try out for the Chaser), his everything. Hermione just sat there, nodding continuously, until a particularly nasty part of her personality panged.

"You only like him for his fame! He'll never go for a scrawny ginger brat like you!" she snapped, amidst Ginny's cooing, not unlike Angelica's, who was giving Harry seductive looks from opposite him. Ginny snapped her mouth shut, and glared at her. Then tossed her frizzy ginger hair and turned up her nose.

Hermione fought back the urge to curse her "best" friend into a thousand miserable pieces. Her hands gripped her wand tightly, almost making the redwood wand snap. She stood up hastily to avoid such an event coming and quickly departed for potions.

Down in the dungeons Amber and Elizabeth were both scowling at Theodore Nott, who leaned against the wall chatting unconcernedly at them. She then saw Amber whip out her wand, her eyes flashing fire, then whispered a curse so harsh that Nott's head started bubbling and turning toadyish with warts covering his face. Horrified at what he was feeling he made a run for it.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Davies," came an icy voice from behind Hermione, who jumped and whipped around and saw Professor Severus Snape. She glowered at him, but not as fiercely as Amber, whose, if glares were daggers, looks would have severed Severus Snape by now.

Snape waved his wand, as mouldy-looking as his face, and Nott's bubbling face returned to normal, and he scowled at Amber, whispering under his breath threateningly. Amber did not back down. She hissed and shot murderous looks at him out of her dark eyes.

Elizabeth laid a cooling hand on her best friend's shoulder, who then snarled at a sniggering Pansy Parkinson, making her squeal and back away. They followed Snape into the dungeons.

Hermione took her seat, for the first time, next to Amber and Elizabeth. She thought they would be foolish and mess around, and not take anything seriously, but to her surprise, both her friends sat up still and straight, looking right at Snape as he lectured on about the difference between the Wolf bane potion and the Wolf transformation potion , which seemed very similar in ingredient but with absurdly different effects.

"So, anyone know the difference between a Wolf bane potion and the Wolf transformation potion?" said Snape in his icy cold voice.

The room was silent. Draco, smirking broadly, thrust his hand into the air the same time as Hermione's. Then, still scowling heavily at Snape, Amber raised her hand defiantly as well, and Elizabeth followed suit.

As usual, Snape ignored them.

"No-one?" he whispered softly, then nodded towards Draco.

"Sir," he began, in his annoying arrogant voice. Elizabeth grabbed Amber's arm tightly to prevent her from springing towards the smirking blonde. "The wolf bane helps the user to transform into a wolf, and the wolf transformation potion decreases a werewolf's harm when taken. Also-"

"But it's wrong!" Amber suddenly burst out, almost shouting. It just leapt out of her mouth like a spring. "It's the other way round, the wolf bane is for the werewolf, and the transformation is to transform, that's why it's called a flipping _transformation _potion, for Pete's sake!"

"Interesting your blabbering might be, Miss Davies," said Snape icily, surveying the glowering girl. "Much as it is often the opposite, you are correct. However, due to the fact that you have: one contradicted another student rudely, and two you have interrupted and spoken out of turn, I must take another ten points off Gryffindor." He continued on lecturing on about the potion.

Amber's pale face was growing pinker and pinker, until she looked like a very ripe peach. She whipped out her wand but the bell went then the bell went. She leapt up and snatched her bag, and ran out.

At break time Hermione hung out with Amber and Elizabeth, feeling very awkward and not blending in, as she usually can with books, but then again, Amber and Elizabeth aren't books.

Then Harry and Ron rounded around a corner. That was weird, thought Hermione, frowning, Angelica should be squeaking after Harry. Then she realized why. Ginny Weasley leant casually against the wall, right in the middle of the path where Harry was sure to pass. Her red lanky hair was harshly brushed so that bits of broken teeth from the comb still stuck in it and her hair was straggly because so many bits had been torn off as it was brushed. She had put on too much make-up, making her face look like a clown's, and her lips had so much lipstick it seemed as though it was made of plaster of Paris. Her too-much-mascara eyelashes batted continuously as Harry approached. She began playfully drawing circles on the floor with her left foot and looking down in a saddening way at it. Pretending. As usual.

Hermione felt a pang in her heart. That was the way to describe it. A pang. Nothing else. Cold and empty. A harsh claw scraping across it, leaving long, jagged scores. Her heart began sizzling, bubbling, and she felt dizzy as Ginny approached Harry, still drawing circles with her foot.

"Hey Harry," said Ginny in a seductive tone, looking up at him through her thick lashes. "I heard you broke up with Hermione. What a shame."

But she didn't seem to think it a shame.

"Maybe you would go out with _me _Harry," she carried on, squeaking every few words. "I'd be a better-" squeak "-prettier, cleverer, smarter-" squeak "and more loyal girlfriend for you."

Hermione clenched her fists, fighting back the desire to shriek and punch Ginny worm-head Weasel in the face. Whoa. Hermione had never called anyone names before…

She turned away from the scene and hurried down the steps into the Entrance Hall. Tears gathered at the corners of her eye but she defiantly brushed them away. As she brushed them she tilted her head slightly so that she can see what Harry and Ginny were doing. Ron was looking at Harry in a very meaningful way, which Hermione knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted Harry to ask out Ginny so that if they marry he could be related to the famous Harry Potter! She cringed at the thought, reading it almost as perfectly as Elizabeth can. People would do anything for fame these days.

Meanwhile, Harry, before meeting Ginny in the Entrance Hall, had been telling Ron over and over again that he doesn't fancy Ginny. Ron had been very foolishly stubborn and kept rejecting Harry's repeated comments that he does not fancy Ginny Weasley.

"I don't fancy her, Ron! My heart belongs to someone else…" he was forced to admit.

"Aah," said Ron in an annoyingly pretending-to-be-a-know-it-all voice. "You don't fancy 'her' but your heart belongs to Ginny! I'm right, aren't I?"

"No mate you're not!" Harry retaliated heatedly. "I love someone else, not your sister!"

"She's not only my sister, but your lover too, right?" said Ron, a knowing smile on his face that showed only too clearly that he had gotten the wrong end of the stick (as usual).

"Shut your face Ron," Harry snapped. "I wouldn't fancy your scrawny sister if she was the last girl on Earth! I'd rather go out with-with Eloise Midgeon than her!"

But Ron either pretended that he had not heard or he was too busy calling out to Ginny: "Hey Gin! Harry's got a secret confession!" (A/N Isn't Ron annoying? Lol)

Ginny had hopped forward with a brightly beaming smile that made her face look stretched and balloon-like. Harry almost scowled but redeemed himself as not to offend everybody. He saw Hermione. He saw her almost-tears. He saw her disappointed face. He hesitated.

"See?" crowed Ron, quite mistaking everything. "He doesn't want to say it! He's embarrassed! You've hit the jackpot now, Ginny!"

Harry began charging towards Hermione, who was striding towards the door, determinedly avoiding his gaze or anywhere near his

direction. But Ron caught him round the middle and thrust him towards Ginny, who enveloped him in a hug that almost strangled him. Harry tried hard to prise her off but she had him in a steely grip. When he finally got loose (and massaged his very sore neck) he saw Hermione look back, a look of intense hurt on her face, and she threw open the door and ran out.

Harry stood, spellbound, speechless, feeling another bit of his heart being ripped out.

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Littlemissmeghan: Wow, maybe I'm psychic!

Hellyx x: Or else what? That I'm gona burst your secret? Lol, joking!

Purplegabby123: Yay! I hoped Chapter 12 would sort some tangled strings up

Urges: Lol, sorry, but this is a Harry/Hermione fanfic, so they're going to be together in the end anyway…

Twitchy the Psycho: Hey, thanks!

Hermione-Potter-52036: She's very confused at the moment, so read on!

Razzy the Beheaded Chicken: Your name's getting weirder! Love your reviews AND your weapons!

Charlie K.: Okay, I will, and thank you!

Smiley: Laugh really loudly you are _really _hyper! And yeah, the definition helped, and it makes sense, I suppose…Amber and Elizabeth didn't rehearse their conversation, unlike Ron and Hermione in third year, persuading Harry off chasing after Sirius Black!

Iris: Aren't you a bit brisk? ¬¬ AND I NEVER KNEW YOU READ H/P BOOKS! Sorry if I confuse other readers, I know Iris. The Avada Kadavra is a forbidden curse that will land you in Azkaban, so even I, the author, can't use it.

Hi: Lol, guess I didn't explain it very clear, did I? Angelica was new, she was pretty (blonde) and she was flattering Harry and he felt good. Hermione would never do that, and he treats her too much as a friend anyway. And she's afraid because she's never actually loved anybody before (Krum doesn't count) And Angelica being obnoxious is the whole point, being in Hermione's way. Plus I always read my mails.

_**BIG NOTE READERS MUST READ! **_ This is a very serious author's note. Next week is my very important end-of-year exam which lasts for a week. I will not, unfortunately, be able to update any stories. I am sooo sorry for it, but I will continue writing on the Monday after that, and will update sometime in that week. So see you then!


	14. Hermione Talks to Her Conscience

I love you readers! You've reviewed my stories! hugs all My exams are finally finished! I've probably failed the French…I didn't know what to write! Hopefully I did well on Maths, Science and the Languages! Anyway, less of my useless blabbering! I can't believe all you people like my story! Anyway…oh, and I'm sorry it took so long, I wanted this to be longer!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

On with the chapter! Woohoo! NEW NOTE I came top of my year in Maths! Yay! Celebrate! Longer chapter today!

Lucky for Hermione, it was Arithmancy, then Ancient Runes after break. No Harry. No Ron. No Draco. Just her and Elizabeth. Amber is more of the physical type. She does Care of Magical Creatures then Quidditch practise, although she has never tried for any matches.

"Too much bother," she would say.

Hermione pondered on Quidditch all the way through Arithmancy, ignoring the professor's teaching. The scrawny brat Ginny Weasley is going to try for Chaser, to be with Harry as well as all the glory when he catches the snitch. Ron remained as Keeper, and he had improved. Katie Bell was still Chaser, so that leaves two Chaser places. Hermione suddenly had a mad urge to try out, and edge Ginny out of her way as well as try her way at sports. After all, she did tennis and basketball when she was a Muggle, so why couldn't she try the wizarding sports?

_Er…hello, Hermione? _A voice in herself woke. _Why the hell are you trying for sports? You've always hated flying, remember in first year?_

She winced at the thought of Neville's cracked wrist.

_But then little miss sucking-up will be slithering after Harry if I don't,_ she argued with herself. _Both Ginny and Angelica are going to try to be with Harry._

_So you're going out of your way just to be awkward with those two?_ asked the knowledgeable voice in her head. _Just to get Harry away from those two when, according to you, you don't even fancy him? You're flying, when you hated it, just to keep the boy you don't fancy out of your best friend's and Angelica's reach?_

She shook her head, and placed it on her palms on the table, as the professor showed them methods of solving different forms of Aritchmancy. Yawning, she ignored him, unbeknownst to the new teacher.

_Professor Milford could really do with a new education booklet,_ she half-thought, half-dreamed.

_So, are you going to try out for Chaser or not?_ the voice came back to her, almost as though it was another person, debating with her.

_No._ She stated clearly.

_Why not?_

_What could I do? I'm as good as flying as Ron is at understanding people, and besides, I don't even have a **broom**!_

_So you're worrying about it, good, that means you want to go._

_**No.**_

_Then why are you going on and on about it? Usually when people are denying the truth they just won't stop._

_I'm **not** going and that's my final word. _Hermione thought very stubbornly, as the bell rang. She hurriedly packed her bags and left with Amber, who noticed that her friend was specially quiet for the lesson, uninteresting as it may be.

They arrived at Ancient Runes with some Ravenclaws and some Hufflepuffs. None of the Slytherins made it to the pre-N.E.W.T. class.

None apart from Draco Malfoy.

_Oh damn,_ thought Hermione, staring in a horrified way as the arrogant boy approached from the other side of the corridor. New classes. New arrangements. She had forgotten that. _Oh this is going to be the worst lesson **ever.**_

So Hermione sat there, next to Elizabeth, listening to the professor talking about the translation of the Runes. Draco sat at the table opposite her, and from the corner of her eye she could see his gaze on her face, very intent. She desperately looked the other way, pretending to be absorbed by the teacher's words.

The lunch bell rang and Hermione almost sprinted out, and bashed into Amber, knocking her off her feet.

"Whoa, Hermione!" cried the tall girl, getting up and massaging her side. "I'm not a rugby player, are you trying to murder me?"

Hermione smiled weakly and helped her up, looking apologetic.

"Where's Liz?"

"She's coming," Hermione answered. Then, out of nowhere, a question sprang out of her mouth. "When's Quidditch tryout?"

Amber raised her eyebrows at her, and knew what she was getting at.

"Oh I just want to see you try out!" Hermione quickly found an excuse. Amber obviously doubted her, but the girl answered anyway.

"I'm not going to try out, you know I never do…"

"Oh come on! You're brilliant at it and you _know_ you are!" Hermione praised her. A small blush crept up Amber's pale face and she smiled.

"Alright," she agreed. Hermione wanted to shout 'Hurray' but then she added: "On one condition."

Hermione's face fell. _She_ knew what Amber was getting at now.

"Say it," she said monotonously, looking down at her shoes and twisting her fingers behind her back. She could not see it but she was positive that a) Amber was going to ask her to ask Harry out, and b) Amber was smirking.

Well, she was right in one way, and wrong in the other.

When she finally looked up Amber was indeed smirking, but her comments threw Hermione off in surprise.

"The condition was that you try for it as well, and get in. I'll see you next Friday night at the Quidditch pitch."

"_What?_" said Hermione incredulously. "You know I suck at sports! Look at me in First Year! I can't even make a broom come up to my hand! 'Up!' and it rolls away, you _saw_ me, Amber!" And she looked down at herself critically. "And look at me! I'm _fat_ and I bet a broom can't even lift me up!"

Then a voice sneered behind her. A sickly marshmallow voice that made her insides bubble in anger.

"You said it, frizzle-head,"

Amber snapped her head round too, and her face twisted into one of the most grotesque faces Hermione had ever witnessed. It was as though she had been asked to both drink an entire bottle of skele-gro _and_ marry Professor Snape.

"Look who's talking," Amber sneered back, anger flashing in her eyes at the blonde girl. Guess who? Yep.

Angelica Payne.

"Talking to a mirror again, Devil-ica?" Amber jeered, her eyes on fire. The she seemed to calm and put a hand to her mouth, as if in realization. "Oh no you can't, you'll crack the mirror."

"Talking to yourself?" Angelica screeched, glaring daggers at Amber. The girl tossed her head and raised her eyebrows.

"No, well, if I was, I'm not now. Whoa," Amber suddenly said, rather nastily, to the very, very, _very_ annoying blonde in front of her. "You are having a _seriously_ bad hair day, my girl."

"Talk to _her_ about it," Angelica sneered, jerking her thumb at me.

"How dare you?" Amber's anger flared again and she whipped out her wand. Hermione hurriedly laid a cooling hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Amber," she said, her insides bubbling and as red as Amber's flashing eyes. "Just leave the sad people to their miserable thoughts."

"Who're you calling sad?" Angelica demanded, after five seconds' pause.

"Blondes really _are_ dumb," Hermione remarked tartly, turning round and pulling Amber after her.

"One day," snarled Amber, breathing heavily through her nose. "I am going to teach that-" and here Amber said such a rude word a picture on the wall, an old lady in a skimpy frilly dress, gasp and cover her ears. "-what she really deserves."

Hermione smiled sympathetically at her friend. Elizabeth stormed through the portrait hole and straight to the two sitting lazily on the couch. Elizabeth began talking to Amber, and Hermione suddenly felt a hollow feeling in her tummy, so she told the other two she was going to get lunch. They nodded and Hermione stepped out of the common room on her own.

As if on its own accord, the rebellious thoughts floated back to her.

_So, are you going to try out for Quidditch or not?_

_No way ho-say._

_Why not? You wanted sucking-up Face-lift girl and Weaselbee to get off your Harry._

_He's not my Harry. He's only my best friend Harry. _

The voice did something like a disbelieving snort.

_Right…you wanted Harry, and you wanted Angelica Payne and Ginny Weasley not to get onto the Quidditch team to be with Harry. You also wanted Amber to show off her talent, and she would only go if you are going. So, two cases, and your reluctance. _Said the voice reasonably. _Aren't you cutting off your nose to spite your face?_

_**No.**_ Hermione replied firmly, concentrating on the argument and not taking any notice of where she was heading.

_You haven't got an excuse, dearie._

_I don't care. I'm not going for the Quidditch team._

_You're a know-it-all, top of the class. All but Quidditch? That's a bit lame, isn't it?_

_Shut **up**._

_Oh come on, just try for it. You've never come across anything that's not do-able, have you?_

_With a **wand**, dimwit. Flying hasn't got anything to do with wands._

_Well if it makes you feel any better than stow a wand up your sleeve, whatever. Just try. You want to keep Harry and let Amber show off her talents? Then go for the tryout._

_Fine, fine_. Hermione surrendered tiredly. _This is getting really annoying. Fine I'll try, but I'm not guaranteeing that I'll get in._

_Try your best, darling, then everything would be fine._

Then, at last, Hermione's conscience died away.

_So now what?_ came Hermione's voice in the now deserted chatting room/head. _I've got to tryout for Quidditch next Friday, and I've got to get a decent broom by then, **plus** get good enough to get on the team, otherwise both Ginny prat and Devil-ica would jeer at me, and Amber won't get in._

What a horrendously confusing situation.

Hermione shook her head, then something smashed into her head so hard that she was thrown off her feet and landed painfully onto her bottom. She looked up, and cursed herself. How stupid can one get? She smashed into a wall. Then she looked up.

There was a portrait, of a gigantic silver fruit bowl. The large red apple gleamed temptingly, but Hermione looked past it, to a large green pear. She sighed, thinking of someone trustworthy to consult to. Then something clicked in her mind.

She reached out and tickled the pear.

L.N.R.star: Was it really that sad? I'm not good at sad scenes, unfortunately. I would want to be!

LittleMissMeghan: Maybe it would get better, I've no idea at the moment, and I would try hard for the exams!

WHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH: cries loudly I can't believe it! Everyone apart from English schools are on holiday already! My holidays don't start until the end of JULY! NOT FAIR!

Purplegabby123: Um…I didn't quite get what you mean but thanks anyway! (I think)

Kamal: OMG! You've no idea what that means to me! It's my first ever fanfic, EVER! I WILL try to update ASAP but it might take quite a while, and thanks!

Iluvgerardbutler: Okay, I admit it, I AM psychic, lol, joking! Don't know how it happens to clash with you, but wow! And thanks, I'm going to try hard this year!

Courtney: I'm still not sure how it would end yet, but hopefully it would be good, that's why I want constructive reviews! Love the other ones too, though!

Sarahrules336: Updating! Yay!


	15. Hermione's Quidditch Practise

Love all your reviews (again)! I'll try to update more often and the stories longer! I've almost reached 100 reviews! Review please!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

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"I don't know what to _do_, Dobby," Hermione said dramatically, throwing up her hands and pacing round in the kitchen, where a thousand elves were scurrying back and forth cleaning the dishes from lunch. "Either I go and spoil my priority, or I get out of my way and let those two _girl_ grab Harry!"

"Miss must not be worried!" squeaked the little elf, which had been delighted to see her and settled most comfortably at her feet, listening to her tale. "Mr. Potter will come to his senses very soon, so in the mean time, Miss must enjoy the food!"

Hermione wiped a tear from her cheek and smiled gratefully.

"Okay, thanks Dobby," she accepted a chocolate-chip cookie from the small elf. "You're the best."

"Miss is too kind," said Dobby, bowing. "Dobby is needing to work now, Miss is welcome to stay as long as she wishes, but Dobby advises her not to stay too long because Mr. Filch is coming to see us, Miss, he is making sure we are not messing with our work. If he catches Miss here Miss will be in trouble!"

"Thanks Dobby," Hermione repeated, then, surprising even herself, she reached out and pulled Dobby into a bone-cracking hug. "I'll go now."

"Miss is welcome!" gasped the elf, smiling in spite of the headlock Hermione had had him in. Hermione smiled, then exited through the door, which resumed its position as a portrait almost at once.

Checking her watch, it was almost time for her lessons. Then she groaned as she checked her timetable again.

Quidditch practise.

Nothing could raise Hermione's looking-forwardness _and_ let it down at the same time, but Quidditch practise.

_Now you're happy_. She scolded her, now silent, conscience. _Quidditch practise in front of Harry and the rest of the class, as well as Draco, just to make a fool of myself._

She sighed, and went up to her dormitory. On the way there she kept going on and on at her conscience.

"Now it's Quidditch practise. I don't even know why Hogwarts bother to hold these practises after so many years. There are Quidditch tryouts, aren't there? Why do I have to have Quidditch practise when I can hardly _ride_?" Hermione said, not knowing that she had spoken out loud. But then again it wouldn't have made any difference, for she was in a deserted corridor - at least she _thought_ she was. "_Plus_ I don't even know why I'm trying out for the Quidditch team. I'm totally rubbish at it, zero-degrade, utterly _useless_ on the team. I haven't played for the last 5 years! Way to show myself up! And I haven't even got a broom!"

A little shadow behind her flickered and a small smile lit up the face of a pale blonde Slytherin, as he slipped away towards the Owlery, with an order form in his hand.

"_Hermione_!" a loud voice screeched and the next moment she was dragged right to the middle of the common room, in a crowd of Gryffindors, wrenching her arm up and down, pumping it so hard it felt as though her arm would snap right off.

"Wh-what's going on?" asked a bewildered Hermione. A beaming fifth year who Hermione did not even know was smiling so widely that she dazzled Hermione. Almost shielding herself in the glare of the white teeth she managed to look in between the crowds. Her jaw dropped.

A large tawny owl stood there, hooting serenely, sitting next to a skinny, long brown package on the table near the window. Almost immediately everyone knew what it was - a broomstick.

"Oh my god!" Hermione gasped.

She walked over, timidly and a little dizzily, and her gaze fell onto the most perfect broom she had ever seen.

It was the newest version, the one everyone had clubbed together to buy Harry for his birthday in July. And now here lies one of its fellows.

The Silver Flight.

Now the name may not be very appealing but actually this rosewood broom, with its perfect streamlined body and tail, highly polished and unbreakable, as well as long-lasting, costs over…well, let's just say even Harry's vault would have to be empty for a couple of years had he bought them.

With a shaking left hand she hooked a stray bit of curl behind her ear, and with her right she reached out tenderly and touched the smooth length of pinkish wood, unable to believe that it was real.

"Who sent it?" she managed to say, in a hoarse voice, at last.

There was a small silence.

"No-one knows," Amber appeared by her side, peering over her shoulder at the broom. "That's a pretty good broom, you know, girl."

"A pretty good broom!" Katie Bell snorted from opposite Hermione. "My dear stone head, this is the best broom there is. It's even better than the Firebolt, plus it has a five-year guarantee that it'll keep up its good work. Hermione, you're so lucky!"

"Sure she is," said a small third year almost wistfully.

"Are you trying on the Quidditch team with that broom then, Granger?" said a bulky seventh-year, by the name of Prudence Ransom.

Hermione's throat went dry. The common room seemed to hold its breath as they waited eagerly for the bookworm to answer, with the perfect broom twirling and hovering vibrantly on her palms.

"I-I suppose…" her voice trailed off and the Gryffindors all leapt up and cheered so loudly that the portrait of the fat lady lamented outside:

"What is _wrong_ with children these days?"

For the first time in her life Hermione was quite eager to get on her broom. Her and her fellow Gryffindors (no Slytherins this time) filed out onto the Quidditch pitch. She clutched her broom so hard that she thought it might snap, and slackened her grip hurriedly.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," came the sharp voice of Madame Hooch. Her shrewd hawks' eyes scanned the Gryffindors and immediately spotted Neville. "You there, Longbottom, perhaps you should sit out for this bit. I don't want another casualty in my hands, thank you very much, or else Potter might have to pull off another spectacular safe of your Remembrall."

They laughed as Neville blushed involuntarily. Madame Hooch smiled dryly and then barked, "Alright everyone, stand beside your broom, or one of the school ones if you haven't got a broom."

Hermione, quivering with excitement, hurried forward and let go of her broom, which hovered at the exact height of her waist, in the perfect position for her to climb on. Harry stood opposite her, with his Firebolt, his jet black hair ruffling in the wind. Angelica stood a couple of paces from him, sneaking peeks at him out of her beady eyes.

"Alright, like in First Year, everyone say 'up'!" shouted Madame Hooch. Harry and Hermione were the only ones that remained silent, for they were the only owners of brooms which do not require orders to rise.

Everyone shouted 'up' but the only person to get her broom up was Amber, who rode the new Comet Two Ninety. She grinned as it rose up to her palms and she clutched it.

When everyone had gotten onto their brooms Madame Hooch began barking orders on what to do. Hermione was barely listening. Her vibrating broom was buzzing between her thighs and her eyes felt extra sharp as she glanced, almost disdainfully, at her fellow Gryffindors, most of whom were either riding Comet Two Sixties or Cleansweep Fives.

"Right!" Madame Hooch's voice suddenly burst Hermione's thought bubble. "I think, since all of you have improved on your Quidditch skills, we should start a match! Right, Potter, come here. And…Davies, come here too."

Harry and Amber flew forward and faced the other Gryffindors.

"You two are the team captains, and you must choose who were to be on your team. Potter, you must choose a girl first, then a boy, then a girl, etc. Davies, vice versa. Ladies first."

Amber scanned all the boys with her eyebrows raised. Dean blushed when her gaze fell on him. Is he falling for _Amber_? Thought Hermione amusedly.

"Dean Thomas," she announced, and Dean zoomed behind her, blushing even redder.

"Okay, Potter, you next," barked Madame Hooch.

This time Hermione felt herself blushing as Harry looked at her, then Elizabeth, who tossed her head as though without a care in the world (neither her nor Amber really cared about publicity and kept themselves to themselves as much as possible), then to Lavender, to Parvati, then to Angelica, who pursed her lips seductively and tried a cute wave, which unbalanced her totally and she flopped over and fell with a thump onto the grass with a pathetic wail.

"Get up, Payne, it's only a scratch," said Madame Hooch harshly, ignoring the whimpers. Angelica got up almost immediately, glaring at the older woman. "Get a move on, Potter!"

Harry flinched, and said, almost hurriedly, "I choose Hermione."

Hermione's creamy face blushed even redder as she slowly flew over to Harry's side, under Angelica Payne's glare and Elizabeth's interested look.

Amber chose Elizabeth, of course. She, however, _did_ look disappointed that Hermione couldn't be on her team.

Next Harry chose Ron, obviously, and Amber chose Seamus, Harry chose Lavender (he tried to ignore the winks and flutters of eyes as much as he could), Amber chose Parvati, and Harry, to his dismay, had Angelica, who squeaked and zoomed ever so _slowly_ to Harry's side and tried to cuddle him instantly, but Madame Hooch noticed, thankfully.

"Payne, stop mollycoddling Potter, grow up girl, this is a lesson, not a love boat," she snapped, making Angelica blush again and scowl.

Next Madame Hooch taught them how to dive, and soon they were playing against each other. Harry was, of course, the Seeker, along with Elizabeth. Ron was the Keeper, and Dean was the Keeper on Amber's side. Parvati was the Beater, with Lavender, to their joy. Harry could have slapped himself. Those two chatterboxes wouldn't worry about the Bludger as long as it doesn't interrupt their endless chatter of makeup, clothes, and boys. Amber and Seamus were the Chasers, against Hermione, and, to her disgust, Angelica.

_She's not going to do anything, apart from trail after Harry like a lovesick puppy,_ thought Hermione, wrinkling her nose. _She's my partner! How am I supposed to throw the Quaffle to her if she keeps trailing along with the Seeker?_

Madame Hooch's whistle blew and Amber shot forward and caught the Quaffle before Hermione could even direct her thoughts back to the game. Seamus tailed her, waiting for the pass. Hermione reluctantly marked her, unwilling to play against one of her best friends, but Amber seemed to ignore the role of friendship in the game. Once the game has started, friendship gets erased by the rules. So as Hermione hovered in the path of Amber, she, Amber, shot by recklessly, almost knocking Hermione off her broom.

Hermione wobbled dangerously and unstably on her broomstick, her heart fluttering in fear as she looked down at the Quidditch pitch.

_Oh my God,_ she thought fearfully. _What if I fall? What if I break my bones? What if I get a concussion? What if-_

Before she could finish her what-ifs the Quaffle came zooming towards her so quickly she barely caught it, with the red ball almost in her face. Ron was yelling at her, something about 'daydreaming' and 'woman'. Hermione ignored his remarks and began flying towards the other end of the goal.

Not before long she saw a flash of shining black and knew instantly that Amber was hot on her trail. Hermione tried dodging this way and that, without falling off, but only managed a very unstable wobble on her left and right. She looked around frantically for Angelica, anybody, even Harry.

Speak of the devil! Harry soon came to her rescue. With the snitch not yet released (Madame Hooch seemed to have 'misplaced' it somewhere) he and Elizabeth had nothing to do except watch the others play. He soon spotted, with his Seeker's talents, that Hermione was in trouble.

Back to Hermione. Her face was flushed and she was panting, as Amber tried grabbing the Quaffle, but thanks to a couple blows of hard wind Hermione kept being tossed this way and that, thus avoiding Amber's snatches. To her joy, Harry zoomed into her view. Her windswept hair whipped her face but she cracked into a smile as she chucked the hard red ball to Harry, who caught it effortlessly and flew towards Dean.

As he raised the ball Hermione suddenly got the feeling that he was feinting and immediately flew to Dean's other side. When the boy flew forward to intercept the ball Harry threw it at Hermione, who dropped it in surprise but caught it as it fell. Before Dean could turn around she hurried forward and put the Quaffle through the hoop.

A _ding_ could be heard as her team cheered.

"Go Hermione!" Elizabeth cried, from her position.

As Hermione got more and more used to the game she became really enthusiastic. Angelica got called off for not doing her job properly, and Neville took her place. But Neville generally made such a mess of his job Hermione simply took the ball herself, although she dropped it more than she caught. In the end, she became so tired (the others doesn't seem to be tired, much to her dismay) when the Keeper on her team threw the ball back at her she raised her arms feebly but it flew through her fingers and smacked her in the face. A Bludger followed it and hit her in the chest. Hard.

Surprised to no end, she tipped off the end of her superb broom and began racing towards the bottom. She opened her mouth to scream but no noise came out. She heard screams in her head as the ground whooshed up to meet her doom, and the wind whistled shrilly in her ears. She closed her eyes, bracing for the impact, and, just before she blacked out, a pair of strong, dependable arms caught her and she flew upwards again.

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Quidditch tryouts next chapter!

Megs: Yes, I will try to squeeze in some Draco/Hermione scenes. Look forward to it!

Syn: Good tip, I will have a go, I've never tried a Quidditch scene, so _I'll_ try my best instead of Hermione!

PockyEater: Thank you! I'll try to update more often now that my exams are over!

Someone you don't know: I don't know how the other people do with these, but I use them for replying my reviews, saying thanks and stuff, instead of emailing because you're not supposed to reply directly to your fan fiction account

Purplegabby123: Tension…will she make it? Or won't she?

Little Tussi: Thanks, she might!

Sarahrules336: Hey thanks, but I'm really busy at the moment, because I'm typing up some of my other stories, plus homework, but if I have time I'll read your story

**Please read You readers are probably going to kill me for this, but this might just be the last chapter I post before the summer holidays (for me). I sincerely apologize for those who looked forward to some nice, fat chapters during August, but unfortunately I am going to Canada to visit my Grandmother with my family for the month, so I won't be back till late August. There isn't a pc in my grandma's house, so there is no chance I can update. Hopefully there'll be, but I don't know. I'll write some chapters and type them out once I get back. Once again, I'm so sorry! I know what you're all thinking…first with the exams and now with the holidays, this little cow is really getting on my nerves! Please abide by my laziness and bunking-ness, I'll update ASAP soon!**


	16. Hermione's Tryout Part I

Realized how awful the arrangements are of this chapter, so I'm re-shaping it.

Yo I haven't got time for any thanks for anybody because here I am in a hotel - the Rocky Mountains! Anyway, I'll thank the reviewers the next time I come on after I came back to England. Here's how far I got on my story:  
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

Hermione woke up with a start, her head swimming and her brain groggy. It was white all over. Little sparkles flashed into her eyes as she began blinking furiously. The Hospital Wing swam slowly into view. A little blob of black in the corner of her eye said:

"Hermione?"

She recognized that voice! It was...she struggled for the memory. Black hair. Strong arms. Enchanting voice. Lovely emerald green eyes, so pure and innocent. His face in her mind's eye swam clearly into view, as did the person in her eyes.

"Harry?"

Her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, and her beloved Harry smiled back at her. She leapt out of bed and into the arms of the oddly misty Harry. She went right through him as he stepped sideways. A gust of cold wind whipped through her. "Harry?" asked a confused Hermione. "What's wrong?"

"Hermione, I'm afraid we can't be together any longer," said Harry, looking cold and uncaring. Hermione stared at him, then uttered a high-pitched little laugh, disbelieving him.

"You're kidding, aren't you, Harry?" she said, fear in her eyes. "You're joking, right?"

"Course I'm not," retorted Harry, scowling. "What makes you think I am? I'm with Angelica and Ginny now."

And, to her horror, Angelica materialized in his left hand and Ginny in his right, both clinging to him in a sickening way, then cuddled him.  
"I'm theirs now, Hermione," said Harry, his green eyes like chips of cold ice. "You can forget me, we were never meant to be together anyway."

"No, Harry," said Hermione hoarsely, her heart having another chunk ripped out. "Please - come back!"

"Goodbye, Hermione," Harry said, and dissolved into the air.

"Nooo!" Hermione screamed in despair, as darkness surrounded her and Lord Voldemort appeared by her side. "Please, forgive me Harry! I'd do anything, just come back!"

"Anything?" said Voldemort coldly, grabbing her arm and Hermione was engulfed in freezing blackness, and knew all was lost...

"Hermione? Hermione!" came an urgent voice. Harry's voice. Her loved one whom she has lost.

"Please don't leave me, Harry," mumbled Hermione, groggily and faintly. Harry was desperate to know that his shocked friend would be alright.

"I won't, Herms."  
"I would do anything, Harry," murmured Hermione, still with her eyes closed. "Please come back. I love you!"

Those words struck Harry like a brick wall as he stared at the beautiful girl lying half unconscious inches away from him.

"I-I love you too, Hermione," he stammered, and ran out. But not before noting the calmed, resting look that settled on Hermione's face as she took to sleep again. Moments later Hermione finally regained full consciousness. Did Harry really say what she thought he said? She can't remember. It was too confusing. Before she had time to run it over again Madam Pomfrey had bustled over and ordered her to drink her medicine.

"It must be a dream…" Hermione muttered. "Harry wouldn't be so cruel. He was here, just now, but not before…"

A few days later Hermione gripped her Silver Flight. It was almost time for the Quidditch tryout. Elizabeth had almost squawked when she and Amber announced to her that they were going for the tryout. Amber stood by her side, Comet Two Ninety in hand and smiling encouragingly at Hermione.

Moments later, Hermione knew she shouldn't have come.

There were tons of Gryffindors at the Quidditch tryout, ranging all the way from Second Years to Seventh Years, all of them looking sporty, self-confident and superior. She was sincerely glad that she had Amber with her, although she looked, for the first time Hermione had seen her, and to her very surprise, nervous. Her dark reddy eyes were a little wider than usual and the pupils small. Her right wand hand gripped the handle of her polished broom so hard they turned white, whilst her left hand twirled her shiny black hair round and round.

Back to herself Hermione tugged her borrowed shorts lower and lower. They were Amber's, who was so tall and skinny, whereas Hermione was shorter and dumpier, by comparison.

Hey I gotta stop there, I hate this keyboard. I'll update ASAP but it doesn't look possible. I dunno if I should continue this because the 6th book's out now - I CAN'T BELIEVE DUMBLEDORE'S DEAD! I bet he has a Horcrux somewhere! Read the book the day it was released! Reviews, plz

Carrying on…

They (the shorts) kept crawling up her thighs, revealing long but pallid legs. They were stick-like, and, in her opinion, had knobbly knees. Blinking furiously to calm her nerves and annoyingly watering eyes, she cast her eyes onto the Gryffindor players, which include Katie Bell, Jack Sloper, and of course, her best friends Harry and Ron. The places left for tryout were two Chasers and a Beater. Hermione was determined that her and Amber take the place of the Chasers.

"Nervous, Hermione?" came Amber's voice from somewhere around her shaking knees. With a start Hermione dropped her broom and looked down.

Amber's grinning face – upside-down – beamed up at her.

"Amber!" Hermione shrieked, drawing eyes to her, and she blushed. Amber up righted herself from her ridiculous handstand.

"Chill, Herms!" she raised one eyebrow and giggled. Hermione would have tackled her friend to the ground had not –

"_Sonorus_!" Harry pointed his wand to his throat, and his magically magnified voice boomed over the chatter. "Hey you guys! Tryouts are about to start, and…" and here was an awkward pause as Hermione listened for elaboration, slowly feeling sorry for him as Harry fought for the next words. "…and could the Chaser tryout people line up here, and the Beater tryout line up there."

There was a scramble to the first of the line, and Hermione quickly followed Amber, as sure-footed and confident as she usually was, although paler than usual.

"Right!" Harry's voice echoed. "I guess I'll take the Beater tryout people first. The Chaser people – you people can have a little warm-up."

With that he mounted his Firebolt and levitated about five feet in the air, then read the register.

"Um…let's see…I'll have Emma Dobbs, Richard Felton, Barbra Links and Darren McCracken. Up here please." Two boys and two girls took flight and circled Harry and Jack Sloper, who had gotten better since last year when he knocked himself unconscious. Hermione's shoulders shook as the memory surfaced in her mind's eye.

"Hermione!"

Hermione's head snapped up – and badly cracked her neck in the process – as a giant red ball, the Quaffle, shot forward like a cannonball aiming straight for her nose. Her hands leapt forward as though instinctively – her eyes closed as she braced for the painful impact, but the ball was caught perfectly in her palms.

"Ouch," Hermione blinked out of her reverie and massaged her slightly red fingers after throwing the Quaffle back to Amber.

"Hark at who said they can't play Quidditch for their life, Hermione!" the black-haired girl teased, carelessly throwing the ball in the air then catching it effortlessly.

"Well who had uncared-for hidden talents?" retorted Hermione weakly, ascending slightly.

"Whatever!" Amber rolled her eyes in disbelief, although a little blush appeared in each of her cheeks. "Let's just practise."

Hermione then had a fabulous half-hour with her friend, learning new Chaser moves (although most of which she had read about in 'Quidditch Through the Ages'), however, the 'Escapade Wobble' and the 'Weird-Pass-That-Works' (Amber obviously isn't a good inventor) were the ones Amber had invented and checked for foolproof.

The 'Escapade Wobble' was a simple yet effective move. When a Chaser is trapped he or she can simply scream and wobble dangerously whilst pretend-panic (and hang upside-down for a dramatic effect and the people around will scatter for fear of a foul from Madam Hooch for sabotaging, or 'pulverizing' as Ron would say.

The 'Weird-Pass-That-Works' is another form of the Porskoff Ploy, the famous Chaser feint. This pass is feinting and throwing it upwards or dropping it. So, according to Amber, it always works. Hermione noticed that both moves requite two people, one to act and one to catch.

That's all for now. Hope this is long enough. Because I'm having so many reviews for more than one chapter I apologize to my readers that I cannot reply to them. I'm sincerely grateful for the support though!

A note: Thanks to Helly for sticking up to me for the flame. I don't really care if people flames me, as long as it is constructive. Even with 'Iw' I'm thick-skinned, thank you very much, so I'm fine if you scorch me. I love all the other reviews though!

Another note: For those of you who are confused, the first bit of this chapter is Hermione's dream. When she declared her love it was the real part. Sorry.


	17. Hermione's Tryout Part II

Well…guess nobody noticed the new updated version of the last chapter. You readers might want to go back a chapter and read the bottom bit before entering this chapter.

No reviews for the updated version, I'm a little disappointed.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"But," added Amber lazily, descending onto the ground. Hermione followed suit. "If you wanted us two to get through we might as well practise those moves."

She tossed her black hair over her shoulder, which had flapped over her face.

Hermione smiled serenely and looked over at the beaters. There was Jack Sloper flying with Harry, who was barking orders at the two boys following the Bludgers. There weren't any girls left now. One of the boys, Hermione couldn't help noticing, was very strong and muscular. His face was dark, and she saw him whack the Bludger with the force of a rhinoceros. The black ball propelled like a concord and almost hit Harry, had he not dodged in time.

"Who's that girl over there?" Amber asked all of a sudden, her arm shot out to point over Hermione's shoulder, almost knocking her over. "Oops, sorry. _Her_." Hermione turned around and her throat went dry.

"That-" She cleared her throat and tried to sound as normal as she could. "That's Ron's sister, Ginny Weasley."

The redhead was showing a Porskoff Ploy to Luna Lovegood, looking very much pleased with herself as boys gathered to have a look.

"She's pretty good, I think she'll make it instead of you," said Amber breezily. Blood rushed to Hermione's head as tears sprang into her eyes.

Amber burst out laughing, drawing eyes to her.

"Eh-eh! Nothing to watch here, mind your own business," she said, good-naturedly, still laughing.

Hermione's tears piled up until they were threatening to spill when Amber finally stopped laughing.

"No, not really," she said seriously. "Your face! You really want to get in instead of her, don't you?"

Hermione nodded glumly. "Well, to be honest, she can't play for her life. She only seems good because all the people here are-" and here, she said something rhyming with 'hit'. "Don't worry, if you and me try hard then we'll stick out by a mile."

Hermione smiled a small smile and wiped tears off her eyes gratefully.

"What a show-off cow," Amber huffed, as Ginny attempted a Wronski Feint and promptly toppled over. The boys all snorted and went off, leaving a red-faced Ginny Weasley, lying on the grass. "See – what did I say?"

"Anyway," Amber turned back to Hermione, with a brisk air worthy of McGonagall. "Let's-"

But Amber's words were interrupted by Harry's magnified voice.

"Beater tryouts are over! Now, could the Chaser people come over now?"

"Who's in for the Beater?" a sturdy, rough voice called out in a rather intimidating tone. Hermione thought she saw Harry flinch before replying, calmly:

"It will be posted up on the notice board by the end of next week," Harry said, trying to regain his leading posture, but it was punctured by the speaker's rude retort.

"I am assuming that I'll be put in?"

"That will-"

"Because, after all, I am the only worthy and skilled player here," interrupted the glaring youth, who, Hermione could now see by elevating herself on her Silver Flight, was the burly Seventh year who had hit the Bludger at Harry, with a tough-weather-beaten face, square-jawed with an eagle-beak nose, icy cold granite eyes and a stubborn, obstinate mouth now pressed into a thin line.

"Who'are you?" asked Ron angrily, the way he had demanded of Zacharias Smith the previous year.

"Connolly Braxton," the Seventh-year growled, drawing himself up to his full impressive six feet five. "Order of Merlin, Fourth Class, Special Contributions to the Ministry Award and Full Attendant for the Minister's Speech Award. So, answer my question," he turned superiorly back to Harry. "Am I in or not?"

"It is not your business who gets in or not," retorted Harry boldly, anger flashing in his emerald eyes. "Now, if you don't mind, there are other Gryffindors waiting to try out for the Chasers position."

Braxton's face reddened in anger but he restrained himself as Harry flew up and examined his Chasers' register.

"We'll have…err…Nicholas Yau, Nathan Yau, Delia Dawn and Amber Davies,"

"Good luck, Amber!" Hermione whispered under her breath. Amber, now even whiter than before, mounted her broom and flew towards Harry.

Hermione ascended, lonely and at a loss of what to do as she watched Amber pass the Quaffle to a small brunette, Delia, who dropped it.

The two boys, Nicholas and Nathan, howled jeeringly at her, in laughter. The small Gryffindor blushed lobster red. Hermione could hear a loud and indignant Amber yelling at the two boys, from a hundred metres away.

"WHO do you think you are to laugh at a poor little second-year I do not know; there is something called self-discipline you need to have. You need to be on the alert at all times, being a Chaser is extremely dangerous. Laughing at a little accident during the event of a Quidditch math could result in fatal injuries and even death. So – CONSTANT BIGILANCE!"

The whole pitch jumped and fell silent, and Nathan Yau almost fell off his broom, being rather small himself.

"She sounds just like Moody," Hermione heard Lee Jordan whisper to a fellow Seventh-Year Gryffindor. Lee had come along for fun to watch the tryouts for the team. Amber twisted around and yelled at him ('She sure has sharp ears,' reflected Hermione afterwards. 'And a _very_ loud voice.')

"YOU TRY NOT HAVING CONSTANT VIGILANCE AND I DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU'LL SURVIVE TODAY, LEE JORDAN!"

Hermione's ears felt as though they were bleeding. She covered them tenderly.

Harry laid a hand on Amber's shoulder. Hermione felt a stab of jealousy in her heart, as Harry said:

"Chill, Amber, just leave the boys alone. We're still in Quidditch practise, remember?"

Hermione breathed heavily, and turned around to calm her nerves. All of a sudden, a shadow fell over her.

"Hermione Granger, is it?" came a tough sturdy voice. Hermione started and whipped around.

"Connolly Braxton?" she enquired, and couldn't help noticing his bouncy muscles and tough skin.

"You're a friend of Harry Potter's ain't you?" he growled, his icy eyes intent on her deep brown ones. She saw him eye over her body and shivered, feeling a little grossed out, and glared at him.

"What do you want?" she snapped. He took a step closer. She took a step backwards.

"What do you want?" she repeated, slowly placing a hand inside her robes, feeling the reassuring wooden wand of hers. As he took another step closer she drew her wand out. Nine inches, made of rosewood, with a phoenix feather, it was her trusty wand that whizzed her through so many Transfiguration tests. Connolly Braxton seemed to be satisfied at her actions, and walked away with a smirk. Hermione felt…mystified, and oddly…somehow…fancying?

After a while, Hermione was called up. She flew towards Harry, all of a sudden had an urge not to look at him and fly back to Gryffindor Tower. She resisted and, along with two Gryffindor boys, as well as a girl called Miranda Silverling, passed the Quaffle around. Several times Hermione almost dropped the ball, and most of the time she barely caught it in her fingertips. It was very nerve-wracking indeed.

By the end of the training she could swear she was one of the last people to be able to get in.

"Amber…I admit defeat…" she sighed miserably, her heart heavy and her eyes brimming with tears. "At least your talents will be shown. I never wanted to be in the team in the first place.

The black-haired girl stared at her questioningly.

"I'm done for!" Hermione cried, quickening her pace, so that soon she was outside the portrait of the kitchen. She grabbed her curls in despair. "I'm no good! I'm just a waste of space!"

"Well what are we doing outside the house-elves' kitchen?" asked Amber. Hermione stared at her in surprise.

"You know?"

"Come on," Amber said, and dragged Hermione into the kitchen, shutting the door firmly behind them.

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Well there you go, a pretty boring chapter. Please could I have some ideas on what to happen next, because I'm really running out of ideas. Anything would do. If you want to flame me, make it constructive please. 


	18. Hermione and Ginny, The Rivalry

Er…I suppose everyone has given up on me as a lost case since I didn't update for the last century. I've only had three reviews.

OMG I have just realized I have not updated in the last century…I only saw that when I was reading through my lovely friend-whom-I've-never-met Lissy's profile and found my story under her favourite story hugs her and I HAVE to update, however short this is! Well, here you are!

Disclaimer: well, like I have said millions of times before, nothing belongs to me

"Amber?" Hermione asked tentatively, as she looked at her friend, who was staring intently at the different house-elves scuttling this way and that.

She had been dragged in, and Dobby had been most delighted at the sudden visit of his saviour's friend, and Amber, with whom he was very friendly with too, much to Hermione's surprise.

"Dobby, how did you know Amber?" asked Hermione curiously, after Amber had said a cheery "Hello!" to the little house-elf. He shuffled rather uncomfortably. Behind Hermione, Amber flashed a warning look at him. He relaxed slightly, then looked at Hermione, who hadn't noticed the silent exchange between the two for she was looking, quite appalled, at how the house-elves had been telling Winky off because she had been tardy serving the table.

"Um….Miss, Dobby knows her when Dobby was travelling from different homes hoping and hoping to be able to serve wizards again, when Harry Potter had freed Dobby!" Dobby replied quite calmly, with Hermione's eyes on him now.

"How?" she persisted. Dobby's round eyes looked uncomfortable.

"Miss a cookie?" he changed the subject abruptly as another elf offered a whole plateful to Hermione, who refused politely. "How is Miss's Quidditch training?" he carried on, smiling toothily and widely now. Hermione's curiosity changed to sadness almost as fast as Dobby's attitude towards her persistent question.

"Bad…" she murmured.

"Even worse with you-know-who bagging everything, eh?" said Amber, smiling reassuringly at Hermione. Dobby's ears pricked up.

"Misses are talking about Little Weasley?" he squeaked, looking up into Hermione's liquid brown eyes and avoiding collision with a hurried house-elf with a large plateful of blancmange.

"Ginny Weasley?" Hermione was so surprised, so suddenly she forgot about the practise. "What do you know about her?"

Dobby shifted from toe to toe, muttering from his newly knitted, wonky triangular scarf (A/N reminds you of anything, my dear friend Helena?). Hermione craned her neck, and heard some low words such as "did not say not to say" and "was not a secret" and "untold but will be told". And, being the smartest witch in her year, she guessed what it was about.

"Have you a secret, Dobby?" she said softly, taking the elf's tiny, bony hands in her own, smiling encouraging at him. Dobby looked up at her with his large tennis ball eyes and gulped.

"Miss Weasley did not forbid Dobby not to tell other people…" he trailed off, and gulped again. "Dobby knows it is a great secret, for Miss Weasley, and Dobby knows it does not like to be told."

"Tell me Dobby," Hermione persisted, curiosity blooming over sadness again. Dobby looked around fearfully, as though the Dark Lord in the body of Ginny would suddenly materialise and blast him into oblivion.

"Well…" he said, with a sigh, then carried on, much to Hermione's relief. "Well, Miss Weasley comes into the kitchen often, often to talk to Sparky," Sparky was a bright little female elf, with rounded ears and glimmering blue eyes and a soft voice. "And Dobby hears things…Dobby could not help hearing when they talks. She, Miss Weasley, has no friends, she says, and she comes into here to talks to us all. She says…she says…" Dobby paused here and reached out for the nearest empty jug. Hermione, all too familiar with Dobby's thoughts, snatched it out of the way sharpish.

"Carry on, Dobby," she said almost bossily. Dobby gulped again.

"Well, She says, she says 'I do not want Hermione Granger to get in because I want to be close to Harry and that stupid….' Miss, she said something very insulting, she did. Dobby dares not repeat it. She says something bad and we elves scurry for cover for fear. And then, she says that she wants Harry Potter, Miss. Dobby does not know what that mean. But she did say a great deal more. Something about a flight with silver. She says she must break it and see your expression miss…Dobby was not told not to tell…she also says she has jinxed your broomstick for the match and that is why Miss's chances are low to get into the team…"

Hermione's eyes filled with anger. Who does Ginny Weasley think she _is_? First she acts like Little Miss Tragedy, and then she jinxed her broom, and now she's trying to steal Harry. Hermione's anger grew…and grew…and grew…until she could take it no longer. She jumped up with a snarl, scaring house-elves, and she rushed to a wall and began punching and punching it, screaming. Amber looked at her calmly, but muttering under her breath. Before long Hermione had subdued, and began crying.

Sorry about this really short chapter. It's just to boost myself that I **will** update and I **will** get reviews! (hopefully)

Lionsgate: Thanks for your review

Helly: Whoa, love your idea! Might happen soon! Jam

D2Killerz: Thank you, I will, well, NOW I will!


	19. Results of the Tryout

Hi everyone, I'm ever so sorry for not updating since forever...I've just been so busy lately and haven't have time to update, so I'll try updating whenever I can...

Anyway, on with the story!

Disclaimer: Like I said before, I have ownership over absolutely nothing here

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Amber's little spell worked. It was not to calm Hermione, but to ease the pain on her bleeding knuckles and healing it almost instantly. Hermione slid to her knees, sobbing and curled up into a ball.

"I think Hermione could do with a cup of tea, Dobby," Amber muttered to the round-eyed house-elf, who trotted off thankfully. "Can you fetch me some kava-kava please, Trixy?" she said to another house-elf, who put the crushed leaves into the cup of tea Dobby brought. Hermione sipped it, gave a sigh, and slumped into Amber's arms.

Hermione woke up in bed, miserable. She blinked her sleepy eyes and shook her throbbing head, and sat up. She yawned and looked at her bedside table where her calendar lay, next to her precious pile of books. Halloween is approaching...though she had no intention of doing anything about it. She sat up.

Her clock indicated that it was almost eleven o'clock. She had missed breakfast, but since it is a Saturday it hardly matters. Yawning again she swung her feet off the bed and went to the toilet to fix herself up.

Fifteen minutes later she emerged, wearing her baggy jeans and a pink t-shirt. Shaking the sleep out of her head and glancing at the empty beds, she trudged downstairs.

Nothing interesting can be said downstairs. Some silly first- and second-years were throwing pencils at each other and shrieking as one of them landed on the top of a bookshelf whilst another stuck itself firmly onto a piece of paper on the notice board. The title caught her eye. HALLOWEEN MASK BALL. Surrounding it were quite a number of fourth- and fifth-years that look a little too enthusiastic that was unnatural for a Halloween ball. As she got closer she spotted a smaller piece of paper with the title GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAMS. Aha, she thought, now I shall meet my downfall.

The crowd parted as she bent her face close to the board. Harry's funny scrawl, so familiar, jumped out to her.

_Gryffindor Players Standby: _

_Keeper: Ronald Weasley_

_ Chaser: Angelina Johnson_

_ Seeker: Harry Potter - Captain_

_ Beater: Jack Sloper_

_Gryffindor Tryout Successful Players: _

_Chaser:  
Amber Davies_

_ Chaser: Hermione Granger_

_ Beater: Connolly Braxton_

_Gryffindor Tryout Successful Reserves: _

_Chaser: Ginny Weasley_

_ Beater: Jennifer Forester_

"I say, isn't Hermione Granger that top-of-the-year girl who managed the _Wingardium Leviosa_ spell on her first Charms lesson?" she heard a tiny, dark-haired first year squeak to her equally small, but brown-haired, friend, who gave it a little thought and bobbed her head.

"Who would have thought such a clever girl could also be so sporty?"

"Don't you think her and Harry Potter are so compatible?" asked a third, who had braces on her teeth and lots of freckles. "They're both so clever, and so cool! _And_ they're the best of friends – but they've never gone on a date!"

"Really?" asked the first girl. Hermione pretended to be totally absorbed in a piece of paper pinned on the board with _Neville Longbottom: Lost toad, Trevor_ where a mischievous seventh-year had wrote "again" after "Trevor".

"Congratulations, Hermione!" Elizabeth's cheerful, bright voice broke into Hermione's gloomy, still half-asleep bubble and made her jump. Elizabeth's oak-coloured curls tumbled into Hermione's eyes, who looked up as the almond-shaped-eyed girl looked down into her eyes and grinned. "Amber told me what happened, glad to know you're alright!"

Hermione gave a weak smile and Elizabeth jumped off the couch she was standing on.

"Come on, it's Saturday! Cheer up! No lessons, no homework! Or rather –" Elizabeth gave another grin. "More lessons and homework in a few days! Look forward to it!" Hermione gave a small giggle. "Come on, let's go find Amber. She's gone for a jog again."

As they approached the portrait hole, someone climbed through, and then let them pass.

"Thank you," mumbled Hermione, hardly looking up as she proceeds to climb through the hole.

"Congrats on getting into the team, Hermione," she heard the very voice she dreads hearing. Looking up, her chocolate eyes met the emerald eyes of Harry Potter. A lump rose into her throat and she choked. Elizabeth saw through the situation immediately.

"Hermione's thrilled," she informed Harry, ushering Hermione through the hole before the girl hyperventilates. "See you later." Leaving a confused Boy-Who-Lived staring after them as the fat lady closes the hole again.

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kava-kava, a calming herb from South Pacific 

Sorry it's short this time, but it's just to assure you guys that I WILL update again, guaranteed! Possibly weekly or fortnightly, however, but I won't abandon you lovely people again!

Mrs.Ginny Weasley-Potter: Well, you'll see but it'll hopefully be a lot more exciting than it seems.

Hatebelow: Thanks for the lovely comment, just hope I don't get too lazy not to update!

Little Miss Meghan: Of _course_ I remember you my friend . I agree with you, I don't like Ginny, sorry Ginny/Harry fans…

Sarahrules336: Oh dear, then I suggest you start reading where you left off, if you're not too bored to read my story. Lol

Alayneni: I hope so too…I can't believe how lazy I am, I haven't updated for ever!

Purplegabby123: Hello again, friend! (Gosh I sound like Starfire from Teen Titans! Lol) Thanks for your support!

IveNeverFollowedCanon HHR: Thanks!

Name: Sorry…I know people are dying because I don't update xX

Name: I promise I will update more rapidly than once in fourteen months from now on

YOUR BIGGEST FAN!!!!!!!!!!!...: Oooh you made me very happy!

Narutolovesraman: Thanks for the encouragement – I feel really bad for the people who wants me to update and I never do sad face


	20. Hagrid's Hut

In case I confused anyone in this fanfic, it IS a Harry/Hermione fanfic, but there will be other boys involved throughout, in order to prove a 'rough live in order to achieve the happily ever after ending', as most stories go…I think.

And for the 'Results of the Tryout', the Chaser who is already on the team is Katie Bell, NOT Angelina Johnson. I made a mistake, sorry!

And reading back, I discovered that I first said Amber Davies is Muggle-born, then I said she was three-quarter blood. In fact she IS three-quarter blood…I have no idea when I wrote the she-is-Muggle-born bit, but another mistake, sorry! BUT her surname is meant to be different from her father's – you might get to know why, later.

And since it's chapter 20, like I said back in chapter 10, this chapter will be extra long!

On with the story!

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Hermione trudged, half a step behind Elizabeth, who walked tall and proud with her curls bouncing around her and a slight, proud smile on her sweet face. Her skirt swished along with her purposeful, long strides and her shoes make loud 'tap-tap' sounds as they descended the marble steps.

Hermione kept her head down and followed Elizabeth through the Entrance Hall, where many students, mainly lower-years, cluster, giggling and shoving and shouting across the marble floor. Hermione dimly registered parts of the conversations.

"Honeydukes selling some really cool Halloween costumes…"

"…Zonko's joke costumes make you grow a tail!…"

"…they're so lifelike it seems real _and_ it covers up your voice…"

"…never know who's under the masks…"

"…bet someone'll dress as Trelawney…" followed by guffaws.

Elizabeth now positively dragged Hermione out of the doors, because she was lagging so slow.

"Come _on_ you slow hippogriff!" Elizabeth teased, pulling her towards Hagrid's Hut. Hermione looked, surprised. She never knew Amber was friends with Hagrid!

Fang looked up from where he was sunning himself and gave a friendly growl. Hagrid turned at the sound and stepping forward, revealing Amber in her slim, dark jogging outfit, hidden in Hagrid's giant shadow before he had moved.

"Hey Liz, hey Hermione!" Amber said cheerfully. "Hagrid was just telling me about the Halloween Mask Ball – he's organising it!"

"That's great, Hagrid!" Elizabeth said jovially. "As long as you don't set any Threstrals on us!" she added, earning some chuckles.

"Ah well, tha's me secret there, 'Lizabeth!" Hagrid grinned amiably. "Bu', ye'll all be in masks so I s'pose _ye_'ll have ye own secrets, eh?"

"_Wizarding_ masks?" asked Hermione, suddenly horrified, for she had imagined the sort of masked balls Muggles have, with just an eyepiece covering the eyes, and a costume.

"Well, we _are_ in the magical world, Hermione," Amber said sarcastically, with a grin.

"Ay, th' sort that covers all o'er ye. Even yer own mother won' recognise ye!"

"Sounds great, Hagrid," Elizabeth nudged Hermione with a sneaky smile. "You'll never know who you're dancing with, huh. Nobody has an identity so you can dance with whoever you like!"

"Only you won't _know_ who you're dancing with!" Hermione cried, waving her hands about in a panic. "You could be dancing with your worst enemy, or their best friend, or even a _teacher_!"

"What's wrong with a teacher?" Hagrid asked, pretending to be hurt, scratching Fang's scary head. "I'm gonna be joinin' in as well, ye know!"

"Which is why it's a _masked_ ball, Hermione," Amber said, sticking her tongue out cheekily. "You get to make new friends!…I think." She winked.

"An' ye 'ave to find a par'ner ter dance with," Hagrid added, smiling. "Ah, t'is time fer lunch – come join me?"

"We'd love to," Elizabeth said politely.

The girls, Hagrid and Fang all trooped into the cabin and seated themselves around the table. Hagrid bustled around whilst Amber scratched Fang's ears as he drooled into her lap. Elizabeth hummed contentedly as Hagrid set down a place in front of each of them, with a sort of steaming, mashed brown stuff that didn't look too tempting.

"Err…Hagrid, what exactly _is_ this?" Hermione asked incredulously, as her plate of mash seems to squirm a little.

"T'is mince beef, 'Ermione," Said Hagrid, looking at the can. "Swish of the wand and some powdered claws for texture, it says."

"I don't think you understood the 'powdered' part quite well, Hagrid," Elizabeth said, looking a little green as she used her fork to unearth what seems to be a talon. "I-I'm not very hungry, thanks." She passed her dish down to Fang, who licked it up in a flash. Hermione was also tempted to do the same, but under Hagrid's loving, expectant gaze, she scooped a minimal amount and put it in her mouth.

"Mm..mm…the taste is very…" Hermione tries to find the word as she rolled the 'mince beef' around her mouth and tries not to gag as the mushy hot pulp slides down her throat. "Individual."

Elizabeth smiled at her sympathetically as Hermione slowly tries a second mouthful. She then looked at Amber, who had her head bent over. Hermione imagined that she must be holding back vomit too. She looked at Amber. Her jaw dropped.

"Mmm this is _great_, Hagrid!" Amber said, scoffing her plate down in a similar way to Fang's, fingers and all. "Can I have a second helping?"

"You can have mine too," Hermione said hastily, shoving her plate over the table. "I'm not too hungry."

"Are you sure?" Amber said, looking at her. With minced meat dripping down her chin, she was a rather formidable sight.

Hagrid sloshed an extra large helping onto Amber's plate, then said, to Hermione: "So why don't ye hang round wi' Ron an' 'Arry 'ny more, 'Ermione?"

Hermione blushed a little and looked down into her lap.

"I…" her voice faltered. She cleared her throat and began again. "I guess our friendship just…isn't working, I suppose."

"Tha's a shame, innit," Hagrid smiled kindly, placing a large hand over her shoulder. "'Arry's bin comin' over an' talkin' ter me an' things. Said…"

"What did he say?" Hermione perked up and asked a little too enthusiastically. Hagrid's bushy eyebrows shot up and was hidden in his mangled hair.

"Ah, then I won' say then, if ye be so keen at wha' 'Arry 'ave said," Hagrid teased.

Elizabeth and Amber gave each other meaningful looks across Amber's now empty plate. Hermione did not notice.

"Please tell me, Hagrid!"

"Ah, me be no' tellin'," Hagrid said with a grin. "Find out fer yerself. Ye finished, Amber?" he collected up Amber's plate and they stood up. "Be gone wit ye then! I 'ave me chores ter do! Be gone!" And they were shuffled out of the small hut and the door shuts, but not before Hagrid gave Elizabeth a wink, for Elizabeth had looked into Hagrid's small black eyes and saw everything. Elizabeth winked back.

"Well!" Hermione said with a sigh. "That was pretty pointless. We got nothing!"

"That's your fault, isn't it?" Amber wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "You should have eaten."

"Not _that_," Hermione was about to go on when Amber's sharp eyes caught something in the Forbidden Forest.

"Who's there?" she shouted, whipping out her wand and pointing it at a figure standing in the shades of the bushes. The figure stepped forward slowly, revealing normal, baggy jeans, trainers, a plain t-shirt, and –

"Now, Davies, put that wand down before you do some damage," drawled a familiar voice. Hermione's blood ran cold. Had he been listening to Hagrid's conversation?

Apparently not. He had something concealed behind his back which he was insistent not to be seen, as he had his arm twisted right round the back.

"Put your wand _down_, I said," he said between gritted teeth, as Amber approached. She lowered her wand.

"What've you been doing, Malfoy?" Elizabeth piped up, looking into the cold grey eyes and searching for the truth. She found it moments before Malfoy spoke.

"None of your business, you bush-headed _Gryffindor_," he spat, glaring at Amber and Elizabeth. He suddenly caught sight of Hermione standing, scared, next to the two. He gave her a small smile. Hermione was startled. Then the smile was gone. Maybe there had been no smile at all, afterall, why would _Malfoy_ smile at her?

Malfoy stalked off. Hermione gazed after him, confused. What was that all about?

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A Great and Terrible Beauty: lol you're the first one I've met who's so strongly against Angelica (good for you!) but I'm sure many other readers hate Angelica too

Narutolovesraman: I'm glad my story's one of your good things of the day!

Butterflygoodbye: Thanks for all your chapterly reviews! You know, I was online when you reviewed after each chapter you've read, so I just refresh my inbox every fifteen minutes or so and there'll be at least a new email! Lol – many thanks for all the reviews!

Woo you reviewers are amazing! I love you guys!


	21. What to wear?

Another long time of not updating. This summer I'm spending it in Hong Kong in China...and there's only two weeks of said holiday left! I'm really sad. But then I get to upload a bit of the next chapter here, I suppose. Gotta love Hong Kong public libraries!

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It was in one of those free periods for extra-curricular Ancient Runes, during which Harry and Ron have Divination, that Hermione and Amber have the common room to themselves, Elizabeth having Divination at the same time as well. Amber yawned and turned over in the comfortable armchair, curling up and staring blankly into the fire. Hermione was having trouble differentiating between _ehwaz_ and _eihwaz_ again. She sucked on the back of her quill, gazing into space. 

"It's Hogsmeades this saturday, Hermione," Amber said suddenly, unmoving. Hermione's thought bubble burst and she stared bewilderedly at her friend.

"Excuse me?"

Amber got up slowly, groaning, "Oooohh...I believe it's my old age, the Gorpwats have gotten into my liver." She stretched slowly, wincing as her bones cracked.

"Gorpwats?" Hermione asked, even more bemused. Amber made a classical Luna Lovegood look and smiled.

"Hogwarts this weekend, I said," she got up and joined Hermione at the table and stared sceptically down at the Runes deciphering. "You want _eihwaz_, defence. The other one is partnership. You mixed it up last year, didn't you?" she grinned again. Hermione stared down in anguish at her homework. She had finished practically everything, from Arithmancy and Muggle Studies down to Transfiguration and Potions. _List the magical properties and common useage of a bicorn horn when grinded and dissolved in an essence of salamander tail._ She felt her brain spin giddily. "What're you wearing for the Halloween Ball? Wanna go to Zonko's and get something wacky?" She paused. "There's this new shop as well, some sister of Madam Malkin's from Diagon Alley, it's next to Madam Puddifoot's. There are really new outfits there too, but they're sort of _peaceful_, nice and _calm_." She cocked her head, a funny expression on her face, as though peaceful and calm outfits for a Halloween Ball are impossible beyond belief. Hermione smiled faintly.

"Yes, perhaps we can go there," she said quietly, as the Divination class returns to the common room. Her eyes immediately caught Angelica, amidst the torrent of chatter and shrieks of the sixth-years, clinging desperately onto Harry, with Ginny Weasley on the other arm.

Amber saw the three too. She gagged, pretending to throw up - "You're _joking_!" - as Elizabeth came up to them, a toothpick in her hand. "What the heck is _that_, Liz?"

Elizabeth giggled. "It's a fortune-telling stick from Divination. When you throw it into the fire on a waning moon night, crouching in front of the fireplace with a tawny owl on your right shoulder and a newborn salamander on your left and you say 'Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, Is it yes or is it no? Which will stay and which will go? Eeny Meeny Miny Mo'."

Hermione choked.

"Really?" Amber, despite being a quarter Muggle, had had no contact with her Muggle maternal grandmother, ever, and so gazed in fascination at her gentle-natured friend. So one would think, Hermione thought, recovering from her fit. Gentle-natured my cloak!

But soon the talk turned back to Hogmeade and purchasing their Halloween outfits.

"The ball's next saturday, Hermione!" Elizabeth said earnestly, grey eyes shining. "It'll be so much fun! I hear Flitwick's dressing up as a troll!"

Amber shrieked with laughter, gaining some peculiar looks from Seamus and Dean, and a sniffily disapproving look from Angelica and Ginny. Hermione smiled faintly again at the craziness of the sporty girl. It _had_ been bugging her for quite a while. What should she dress as? Animals? Plants? Her thought dwindled on dressing as a Muggle, but she felt certain that some pureblood-mad Slytherins would sneer at her and she cast away that possibility.

"I dunno what to dress as," she said defeatedly. Amber grinned at her.

"Guess what _I_'m dressing as?" She paused for effect. Hermione eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm dressing as an aubergine!"

Hermione choked again.

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Thanks for all the reviews that I have no time to individually credit (sorry xx) but I'm still here and will still upload whenever I have time! 


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